“An affront to the conscience of the court” is another variation of the expression, which specifically emphasizes
the offense or insult to the moral judgment or integrity of the court system itself.
Page Description
An in-depth look at a landmark case
that questions the ethical
and moral grounds
of judicial decisions
and their societal impacts.
1 Barriers to Justice: The Roadblocks to Fairness
Here’s a concise summary of the article “An Affront to Justice” by Joshua Rozenberg:
In April 2021, the Court of Appeal corrected a major miscarriage of justice involving 39 former Post Office staff who had been wrongfully convicted of dishonesty. These individuals lost their jobs, and some served prison sentences, with three having died before the ruling. The scandal exposed serious flaws in the system where the Post Office acted as complainant, investigator, and prosecutor, relying on the unreliable Horizon accounting system for convictions.
Historically, private prosecutions have been allowed, but safeguards are minimal. The article argues that private prosecutors, like the Post Office in this case, should not be self-regulated. It highlights the need for more stringent oversight, suggesting that private prosecutors should be held to the same standards as public ones, with mandatory oversight by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and regular inspections. Although some MPs support these reforms, the government remains hesitant, fearing that such changes might unduly limit the right to private prosecutions. The scandal underscores the necessity for better regulation to prevent future injustices.
Post Office Inquiry: Fujitsu analyst confronted with email branding subpostmaster a ‘nasty chap’
16 jul 2024
Andy Dunks – former IT security analyst at Fujitsu Services Ltd – faced a barrage of questions over how employees of the firm viewed their role towards subpostmasters.
A lawyer for core participants pointed to an email exchange between him and a colleague where the other man branded a subpostmaster a ‘nasty chap.’
Post Office Inquiry: Forensic accountant says Vennells avoided probing miscarriages of justice
18 jun 2024
Independent forensic accountant says Paula Vennells tried to steer him away from probing miscarriages of justice.
Ian Henderson, one of the two forensic accounts from Second Sight paid by the Post Office (POL) to review cases involving Horizon in 2012, said he felt he was “dealing with a cover-up… and possibly a criminal conspiracy”.
Post Office inquiry: ex-Fujitsu boss grilled over failure to notice system errors
19 jun 2024
Ex-chief executive for Fujitsu UK & Ireland, Duncan Tait, was today grilled by the Horizon victim’s lawyer Sam Stein KC.
Stein questioned Tait on his failure to notice system errors saying, “Either you failed utterly in your leadership or the staff beneath you failed utterly to tell you what was going on.
