Post Office has published (on 22 February 2024) correspondence from 9th January 2024, sent by the Post Office to the Ministry of Justice, copied to the Department for Business and Trade.
The purpose of the correspondence was to explain the work that Post Office had requested its legal counsel, Peters & Peters, undertake to proactively identify, on the papers available, any convictions that could be unsafe. This was primarily to offer the Government any support that might assist them as they consider relevant issues in advance of passing legislation, without any value judgement on what the correct course of action might be.
The letter references a note provided by Post Office’s legal counsel, this note was not solicited by Post Office and, as can be seen, was sent to express the personal views of its author. Post Office was in no way seeking to persuade Government against mass exoneration.
Post Office are fully supportive of any steps taken by Government to speed up the exoneration of those with wrongful convictions and to provide redress to victims, with the information having been provided to inform that consideration.