Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024 implementation: statutory report
This statutory report to the Scottish Parliament on the implementation of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Act 2024 outlines the steps taken by the Scottish Government to fulfil its statutory duties under Section 6 of the Act.
2. Headline Data
The graphic below provides an overview of the quashed convictions and alternatives to prosecution under the Act. Chapter 6 (Data and Statistics) includes further detail.
Graphic text below:
Quashed Convictions and Alternatives to Prosecution
1. Total:
In total, there are 65 quashed convictions and alternatives to prosecution in Scotland
2. Period of Offence:
The offences occurred between 1999 and 2016, with most cases concentrated between 2002 and 2010.
3. Type of Offence:
There have been:
- 48 cases of embezzlement;
- 14 cases of theft; and
- 3 cases of fraud.
4. Sentence:
The sentences imposed include:
- 35 Community Payback Orders (before 2011 these were called Community Service Orders);
- 16 custodial sentences;
- 6 compensation orders;
- 3 probation;
- 2 fines; and
- 3 cases with no sentence.
5. Notification:
There were 62 individuals successfully notified that they had a quashed conviction or alternative to prosecution and 3 individuals untraced.
6. Records:
All records were updated.
7. Redress:
There were 52 applications submitted to the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme.