* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Monday, June 2, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Devin Harjes Dies: ‘Manifest’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor Was 41 – WyomingNews.com

    Tragic Loss: Devin Harjes, Star of ‘Manifest’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ Passes Away at 41

    Why Starz Entertainment Stock Soared Today – The Motley Fool

    Unpacking the Surge: What Fueled Starz Entertainment’s Stock Explosion Today!

    Unveiling the Enigmatic: First Looks at Destruction and Puck in ‘The Sandman

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Mavs CEO holds firm on new arena, entertainment district in Dallas – Dallas News

    Mavs CEO Stands Strong on Vision for New Arena and Entertainment District in Dallas

    Entertainment: On Your Marks, Get Set, Beer Run! – Urban Milwaukee

    Get Ready to Race: The Ultimate Beer Run Experience Awaits!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    This giant microwave may change the future of war – MIT Technology Review

    Revolutionizing Warfare: The Impact of a Game-Changing Giant Microwave

    Bajeed Pattan Joins Forbes Technology Council as Innovation Leader – PRWeb

    Bajeed Pattan Takes the Helm as Innovation Leader at Forbes Technology Council!

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Drone technology demo in Cambria County showcases future of lifesaving medical deliveries – local21news.com

    Revolutionizing Healthcare: Drone Technology Takes Flight for Lifesaving Medical Deliveries in Cambria County

    Revolutionary Harvesting Technology Promises to Slash CAR-T Manufacturing Costs!

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Devin Harjes Dies: ‘Manifest’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor Was 41 – WyomingNews.com

    Tragic Loss: Devin Harjes, Star of ‘Manifest’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ Passes Away at 41

    Why Starz Entertainment Stock Soared Today – The Motley Fool

    Unpacking the Surge: What Fueled Starz Entertainment’s Stock Explosion Today!

    Unveiling the Enigmatic: First Looks at Destruction and Puck in ‘The Sandman

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Jackie Chan Reveals This Family Member ‘Never Watched’ The Whole Of Any Of His Movies – Yahoo

    Mavs CEO holds firm on new arena, entertainment district in Dallas – Dallas News

    Mavs CEO Stands Strong on Vision for New Arena and Entertainment District in Dallas

    Entertainment: On Your Marks, Get Set, Beer Run! – Urban Milwaukee

    Get Ready to Race: The Ultimate Beer Run Experience Awaits!

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

    This giant microwave may change the future of war – MIT Technology Review

    Revolutionizing Warfare: The Impact of a Game-Changing Giant Microwave

    Bajeed Pattan Joins Forbes Technology Council as Innovation Leader – PRWeb

    Bajeed Pattan Takes the Helm as Innovation Leader at Forbes Technology Council!

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Lafayette Regional Technology Council – Tech Leadership That’s Homegrown and Future-Focused – Discover Lafayette

    Drone technology demo in Cambria County showcases future of lifesaving medical deliveries – local21news.com

    Revolutionizing Healthcare: Drone Technology Takes Flight for Lifesaving Medical Deliveries in Cambria County

    Revolutionary Harvesting Technology Promises to Slash CAR-T Manufacturing Costs!

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology

Former Post Office executive admits he wouldn’t sign unfair contract he pushed on subpostmasters

October 18, 2023
in Technology
Former Post Office executive admits he wouldn’t sign unfair contract he pushed on subpostmasters
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Former contract manager said contract that subpostmasters had to sign with Post Office “put them on the hook” for everything

Karl Flinders

By

Karl Flinders,
Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Published: 18 Oct 2023 9:45

The contract that subpostmasters were forced to sign by the Post Office was so weighted against them that the organisation’s contracts manager said he would not have agreed to it if he had been in their shoes.

During a Horizon scandal public inquiry hearing, he also admitted a High Court battle with subpostmasters in 2018, which the Post Office spent more than £100m of taxpayers’ money fighting and ultimately losing, was seen by the Post Office as a way of “killing off” challenges to the Horizon system.

Subpostmasters were made to repay or were punished for unexplained accounting shortfalls, although they were caused by errors in the retail and accounting software used in branches, known as Horizon. The phantom losses were their responsibility because of the contract they signed with the Post Office.

Victims of what is now known as the Post Office Horizon Scandal suffered from depression, ill health, bankruptcy and imprisonment. Many received criminal records, and there are suicides connected to the suffering.

John Breedon, former Post Office contract manager, told the public inquiry the terms of the contract he was pushing on subpostmasters would not be something he would “personally want to sign”.

He said the “obligations were all on the subpostmaster”, and that it “put them on the hook for doing everything”.

Jason Beer KC, barrister to the public inquiry, asked Breeden why this view was not expressed in his 16-page written evidence. He said he didn’t know, but admitted, when prompted, that it was “perhaps” because he wasn’t asked directly.

Sole responsibility

A key part of the Horizon scandal was that the contract contained a clause that stated: “The subpostmaster is responsible for all losses caused through his negligence, carelessness or error and also for all losses caused by his assistants. Deficiencies due to such losses must be made good without delay.” Unless subpostmasters could prove there was some other cause, such as a bug in the Horizon system, they would have to pay.

But the Post Office went further in pressuring subpostmasters when it wrote to them demanding they cover all shortfalls. These letters omitted details about which losses subpostmasters were responsible for, simply stating that they were responsible for all losses. This would mean the subpostmaster had no choice but to pay the Post Office the amount of the shortfall, or face suspension or prosecution.

Beer KC said this was mis-stating the clause.

This enabled the Post Office to glean money from subpostmasters without evidence of where the money had gone, and those that contested the losses, many of which blamed Horizon, were often dragged through court, made bankrupt and prosecuted, with many convicted and sent to prison.

A High Court group litigation order (GLO) in 2018, where 555 subpostmasters sued the Post Office, proved that Horizon errors caused unexplained accounting shortfalls, which due to the unfair contract, subpostmasters paid a heavy price for.

During the legal battle, judge Peter Fraser said in a judgment: “There can be no excuse, in my judgment, for an entity such as the Post Office to mis-state, in such clearly expressed terms, in letters that threaten legal action, the extent of the contractual obligation upon a [subpostmaster] for losses. The only reason for doing so, in my judgment, must have been to lead the recipients to believe that they had absolutely no option but to pay the sums demanded. It is oppressive behaviour.”

In 2009, a Computer Weekly investigation first revealed that subpostmasters were being blamed for unexplained accounting shortfalls, which they believed to be caused by software errors. (See timeline of all Computer Weekly’s Horizon scandal coverage since 2009).

Convictions overturned

So far, 93 former subpostmasters have had wrongful criminal convictions overturned, with many more expected. Over 900 were prosecuted in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland based on evidence from the Horizon system from 2000 to 2014 in England.

The Post Office was able to continue its approach to unexplained losses through secrecy around problems with Horizon. During the hearing, Breeden admitted the Post Office had a policy of only relaying “good news”, with details about challenges to the robustness of the Horizon system ignored while the organisation focused on its brand.

Breeden said this attitude was “part of the Post Office’s DNA”, which he said, “came from the top [of the organisation]”. During this period, Paula Vennells was Post Office CEO.

Beer KC referred to a write up of a recorded meeting between Breeden and lawyers at Womble Bond Dickinson in 2018. The meeting was in preparation for Breedon giving evidence in the High Court GLO. Beer asked Breedon if the GLO was seen as a way of “killing off” subpostmaster challenges to the Horizon system. He agreed that it was.

In his evidence in the first trial in the GLO, which was focused on the contractual relationship between the Post Office and subpostmasters, Breedon never mentioned his view that the contract was “weighed against subpostmasters”.

He was criticised by judge Fraser for providing what he described as providing “PR-driven” evidence during GLO trials.

Fraser also said there was a culture of secrecy and confidentiality generally in the Post Office, but particularly around the Horizon system.

Read more on IT for retail and logistics


First subpostmaster Horizon conviction overturned in Scotland

KarlFlinders

By: Karl Flinders


Five more subpostmasters have IT system-related convictions overturned

KarlFlinders

By: Karl Flinders


Government offers £600,000 to subpostmasters with overturned convictions

KarlFlinders

By: Karl Flinders


Six subpostmaster appeals to be heard in Scottish court

KarlFlinders

By: Karl Flinders

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Computer Weekly – https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366555682/Former-Post-Office-executive-admits-he-wouldnt-sign-unfair-contract-he-pushed-on-subpostmasters

Tags: FormerOfficetechnology
Previous Post

Five Eyes issues five tips on thwarting nation state threats

Next Post

SuiteWorld 23: Oracle NetSuite pushes business efficiency by way of AI

Conservation | Definition, Ecology, Examples, & Facts – Britannica

Unlocking the Secrets of Conservation: Understanding Ecology, Real-World Examples, and Fascinating Facts

June 2, 2025
Invisible radiation leaking from private satellite ‘megaconstellations’ could ruin radio astronomy forever, experts warn – Live Science

Invisible radiation leaking from private satellite ‘megaconstellations’ could ruin radio astronomy forever, experts warn – Live Science

June 2, 2025
Why a science-based climate policy helps business leaders – The World Economic Forum

Unlocking Success: How Science-Based Climate Policies Empower Business Leaders

June 2, 2025
Exercise boosts survival rates in colon cancer patients, study shows – The Lufkin Daily News

How Exercise Can Significantly Improve Survival Rates for Colon Cancer Patients

June 2, 2025
2025 Team USA U20 Wrestling World Team Set – FloWrestling

Meet the Future Stars: Team USA’s U20 Wrestling World Team for 2025 Unveiled!

June 2, 2025
Devin Harjes Dies: ‘Manifest’ & ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Actor Was 41 – WyomingNews.com

Tragic Loss: Devin Harjes, Star of ‘Manifest’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ Passes Away at 41

June 2, 2025
The Trump administration’s report on kids’ health cites made-up scientific studies – NPR

The Trump administration’s report on kids’ health cites made-up scientific studies – NPR

June 2, 2025
Labour pushes ‘military Keynesianism’ to win support for defence spending – The Guardian

Labour pushes ‘military Keynesianism’ to win support for defence spending – The Guardian

June 2, 2025
ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

ROLAND’S NEW WIRELESS TRIGGER TECHNOLOGY, PORTER & DAVIES ON TOUR, NEW 64 AUDIO ASPIRE UNIVERSAL IEM MODELS, WAVES FREE PLUGIN PACK – Modern Drummer Magazine

June 2, 2025
Statewide Hawaii high school surfing closer with passage of funding bill – Spectrum News

Surf’s Up: Hawaii High School Surfing Program Secures Funding Boost!

June 1, 2025

Categories

Archives

June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (658)
  • Economy (672)
  • Entertainment (21,579)
  • General (15,255)
  • Health (9,715)
  • Lifestyle (675)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (674)
  • Politics (681)
  • Science (15,893)
  • Sports (21,177)
  • Technology (15,660)
  • World (660)

Recent News

Conservation | Definition, Ecology, Examples, & Facts – Britannica

Unlocking the Secrets of Conservation: Understanding Ecology, Real-World Examples, and Fascinating Facts

June 2, 2025
Invisible radiation leaking from private satellite ‘megaconstellations’ could ruin radio astronomy forever, experts warn – Live Science

Invisible radiation leaking from private satellite ‘megaconstellations’ could ruin radio astronomy forever, experts warn – Live Science

June 2, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version