Post Office hero Sir Alan Bates agrees seven-figure Horizon compensation deal
Sir Alan Bates has agreed a multi-million pound deal over the Post Office Horizon scandal, more than 20 years after he began campaigning to shed light on the miscarriage of justice.
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Around 1,000 people were wrongly prosecuted and convicted throughout the UK between 1999 and 2015 as a result of Horizon, with a significant number contemplating self-harm.
The former subpostmaster has previously labelled the redress schemes for victims of the Post Office scandal as “quasi-kangaroo courts”.
Victims’ fight for justice reached the mainstream following the release of the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which highlighted the scandal.
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According to Sky News, Sir Alan’s final settlement is between £4m and £5m.
Sir Alan previously told the Sunday Times the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) “sits in judgment of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses”.
In a statement confirming his claim had been settled, DBT said: “We pay tribute to Sir Alan Bates for his long record of campaigning on behalf of victims and have now paid out over £1.2 billion to more than 9,000 victims.
“We can confirm that Sir Alan’s claim has reached the end of the scheme process and been settled.”
Earlier this year, Sir Alan urged victims of the Horizon scandal to take the Government to court over delays to financial redress.
In an email sent to members of campaign group Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA), seen by the PA news agency, Sir Alan said a judicial review would "probably be the quickest way to ensure fairness for all".
He told the group it would likely take until November 2027 for all claims to be completed.
More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts.
Many are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts.
Sir Alan told JFSA members it was "time for others to step up", adding: "Hopefully you'll all agree I've done my bit."