POLO0111405
POL00111405
Message
From: Rodric Williams H
on behalf of — Rodric Williams.
Sent: 20/11/2018 22
To: Mark R Davies
lisdairCameront
ce: ar 3; Melanie Corfiel
Ben Foat,
Subject: Post Offi \UBJECT TO LEGAL PRIVILEGE - DO NOT FORWARD
Post Office Group Litigation - SUBJECT TO LEGAL PRIVILEGE - DO NOT FORWARD
All,
The Court spent today hearing Angela’s evidence, which will continue into tomorrow as scheduled. Angela remains
under oath, and therefore is still unable to discuss the case. Her evidence should however conclude tomorrow morning.
Patrick Green QC’s cross-examination of Angela’s evidence was wide-ranging, but broadly covered Horizon errors
affecting branch accounts, the ability of postmasters to dispute losses, and postmaster training (including whether it
included training on how to identify the cause of losses). PGQC pursued this by reference to Lead Claimant-specific and
general policy documents, presumably to support the Claimants’ case that there is substantial information about branch
losses known only to Post Office, which imbalance (or “asymmetry of information” as PGQC often describes it) needs to
be addressed through rewriting the postmaster contract in the way the Claimants contend.
The cross-examination was at times fragmented, and often of questionable relevance to the Common Issues being tried
(the Judge commented to PGQC at the end of the day “I know you find it hard to reign yourself in when you feel you are
ona roll”), but we feel that Angela has been a good witness, and that overall the PGQC and the Claimants did not make
much headway with our “star witness”.
Once Angela’s is released, the Court is scheduled to hear evidence tomorrow from:
- Tim Dance, Retail Transformation Integration Manager, on the business plans which Postmaster applicants
provided as part of the application process and the investments they make in branches;
- Helen Dickinson, Security Team Leader, on the risk of fraud and dishonesty in branches; and
- Michael Shields, Temporary Postmaster Advisor on Temporary Postmaster appointments.
Kind regards, Rod
Rodric Williams
Head of Legal - Dispute Resolution & Brand
20 Finsbury Street
2017 Winner of the Global Postal Award for Customer
Experience
POL-0108994