The Court of Appeal has cleared 39 former sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses in what is the most widespread, known, miscarriage of justice in the UK. Between 2000 and 2014 the Post Office prosecuted 736 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses based on information from a new computer system called Horizon. Some went to prison following convictions for false accounting and theft, many were financially ruined and were shunned by their communities. Lord Justice Holroyde said the Post Office’s prosecution of innocent people was so outstandingly bad and shocking as to be “an affront to the conscience of the court.”

One of the most tragic cases was Martin Griffiths, who was a sub-postmaster in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, for 18 years. The accusations against him made by the Post Office, based on the faulty Horizon software, drove him to financial and emotional ruin. Martin was a man of complete integrity and a fastidious bookkeeper. In less than 2 years he was told there was a deficit of more than £57,000 on his account with the Post Office. Over 4 years, with the help of his parents, he paid more than £100,000 to the Post Office. In September 2013, three weeks before his 59th birthday, Martin took his own life.

Martin and the other more than 2000 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses accused by the Post Office were not told about the many other cases being pursued. They thought they were the only ones having these problems. In 2019 the High Court ordered that £58 million compensation be paid to 557 postmasters. After their legal costs were deducted, the group shared an £11 million pay-out, or £20,000 each. The Post Office paid more than £32 million in prosecuting their loyal and faithful staff. “Justice delayed is justice denied” is a legal maxim. Sadly, injustices in this life are all too common, and the assurances that lessons will be learned so that this doesn’t happen again can have a very hollow ring.

The Bible affirms that God is just and will deal with us all in perfect justice. None will escape his judgement. The Old Testament prophets denounced injustices by the rich and powerful against the poor and vulnerable. In his love, God has also provided a way for us to be forgiven. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty our sins deserve and so satisfied divine justice. William Rees’ hymn says, “On the Mount of Crucifixion fountains opened deep and wide; through the floodgates of God’s mercy flowed a vast and gracious tide. Grace and love, like mighty rivers, poured incessant from above, and heaven’s peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love.”