Date
1999 —- 2000
POL00460586
POL00460586
SUBJECT TO CONFIDENTIALITY UNDERTAKINGS
CHRONOLOGY OF KEY EVENTS & PROJECTS
Event / Project / Repo
Horizon IT system rolled out
Description / further detail
The system now known as “Legacy Horizon” was installed in Post Offices
around the country.
2003
Wolstenholme case
Julie Wolstenhome was a Postmaster at the Cleveleys branch in Lancashire.
POL pursued her for £25,000 through the civil courts and instructed IT
expert Jason Coyne to assess whether there was evidence she was
responsible for losses. Coyne found that there were defects with the
Horizon system. POL settled the case.
2004
Castleton case
Lee Castleton was a Postmaster from Bridlington. He was found to have a
£25,000 shortfall at his branch. He was subsequently made bankrupt after
losing his case.
2006
Hamilton case
Jo Hamilton was a Postmaster accused of stealing £36,000 from a Post
Office in South Warnborough. She pleaded guilty to false accounting.
11 May 2009
Computer Weekly Article
The scandal was first exposed by Computer Weekly revealing the stories of
seven Postmasters and the problems they suffered due to accounting
software:
[ HYPERLINK
“https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240089230/Bankruptcy-
prosecution-and-disrupted-livelihoods-Postmasters-tell-their-story" \h ]
2009
Formation of Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance
(“OFSA”)
The JFSA was formed in 2009 by a small group of Subpostmasters from all
around the country who had suffered problems with the Horizon system.
POL-BSFF-147-0000013
POL00460586
POL00460586
SUBJECT TO CONFIDENTIALITY UNDERTAKINGS
Founding member, Alan Bates’ contract was terminated by Post Office in
2003.
2010
Misra Case
Pregnant postmaster Seema Misra, who ran a Post Office in West Byfleet
was jailed after being accused of stealing £74,000.
August 2010
Ismay Report
Rod Ismay, former POL Head of Product and Branch Accounting, was
commissioned to write an internal report concerning the reliability of
Horizon, in response to the formation of the JFSA. The report was disclosed
during the 2021 Court of Appeal proceedings and describes Horizon as
“robust.”
Rod Ismay gave evidence to the Inquiry in Phase 3 and Phase 5.
March 2010
Horizon Online rolled out
New version of Horizon system rolled out across Post Offices.
July 2012
Appointment of Second Sight
Forensic accountants Second Sight were invited by POL to investigate the
growing number of complaints about the Post Office’s Horizon IT system.
12 June 2013
Helen Rose Report
Helen Rose, former POL Auditor and Investigator, was commissioned to
investigate an issue raised by a Postmaster in Lepton who was concerned
the Post Office had suggested he had made a fraudulent transaction. The
report provided some of the first evidence that incomplete information was
being used as the basis of Horizon prosecutions.
Helen Rose gave evidence in Phase 4.
July 2013
Second Sight Interim Report
Second Sight were appointed in July 2012 to conduct an independent
investigation of the Horizon system.
POL provided a significant number of documents to Second Sight to assist
with the Interim Report.
POL-BSFF-147-0000013_0001
POL00460586
POL00460586
SUBJECT TO CONFIDENTIALITY UNDERTAKINGS
Second Sight’s Interim Report published on 8 July 2013 found no evidence
of system wide (systemic) problems with Horizon at that stage, though
work was still to be undertaken.
15 July 2013
Clarke Advice
Barrister Simon Clarke provided advice to Post Office on the use of expert
evidence in support of prosecutions and led to the cessation of POL
conducting prosecutions. In his advice, Clarke explained the issues around
Gareth Jenkins as an expert witness and advised that he not be used in
future.
He subsequently gave advice on shredding documents on 2 August 2013.
August 2013
Initial Complaint Review and Mediation Scheme
(“ICRMS”) established
ICRMS had two phases:
- An ‘investigation phase’ where SPM application complaints were
investigated; and
- A‘mediation’ phase where POL and SPMs sought to settle those
complaints.
There was an ICRMS Working Group which was chaired by Sir Anthony
Hooper and met for the first time on 21 August 2013.
September 2013
Griffiths case
Martin Griffiths and his wife ran Hope Farm Post Office in Ellesmere Port.
They were accused of stealing £60,000 in 2009 and Mr Griffiths tragically
died by suicide in September 2013.
March — October
2013
Detica Report
Detica were instructed to conduct a review of fraud and non-compliance
issues in POL: [ HYPERLINK
“https://www. jfsa.org.uk/uploads/5/4/3/1/54312921/document_25_-
_detica_netreveal_fraud_analysis_011013_1.pdf" \h ]
March 2014
Project Sparrow
In March 2014, Post Office Board agreed to set up the Sparrow Board Sub-
Committee which the Chairman would chair and would involve the CEO,
Alasdair Marnoch (Chairman of the Audit Committee) and Richard Callard.
POL-BSFF-147-0000013_0002
POL00460586
POL00460586
SUBJECT TO CONFIDENTIALITY UNDERTAKINGS
The remit of Project Sparrow was separated into two workstreams:
- The ICRMS for which Belinda Cortes-Martin (previously Crowe) was
responsible. She was Programme Director of Project Sparrow; and
- The Business Improvement Programme (which was run by Angela
van den Bogerd.
May 2014
Project Zebra
Report by Deloitte in May 2014 which showed remote access to sub-
postmasters’ accounts was possible.
The Zebra Report was not disclosed in the GLO due to privilege.
3 February 2015
POL appearance at Select Committee
Paula Vennells and Angela van den Bogerd appeared before the BIS Select
Committee to answer questions relating to the issues with Horizon: [
HYPERLINK "https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/d05cb9e7-04d0-
4d05-8a43-ddd74b1eeccO" \h ]
9 April 2015
Second Sight Final Report
The Second Sight Final (Briefing) Report was split into two parts:
- Part One (22 May 2014) — explained variety of reasons why a
branch may encounter a discrepancy, beyond BEDs or a lack of
robustness in the system.
- Part Two (9 April 2015) — 19 common thematic issues were
identified from case reviews. The report was highly critical of POL.
Whilst not identifying any BEDs, it concluded that in some
circumstances Horizon could be systematically flawed from a user’s
perspective and POL had not necessarily provided an appropriate
level of support.
August 2015
Panorama programme
BBC aired a programme called “Trouble at the Post Office”:
[ HYPERLINK "https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0675m1)" \h ]
8 February 2016
Swift / Chairman’s Review
On 10 September 2015, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, then Minister of State for
BIS, wrote to Tim Parker on behalf of the Government as POL’s sole
shareholder requesting that, upon assuming his role as POL Chairman, he
4
POL-BSFF-147-0000013_0003
POL00460586
POL00460586
SUBJECT TO CONFIDENTIALITY UNDERTAKINGS
investigate the concerns raised in relation to the Horizon system,
determine whether any further action is necessary and, if so, take steps to
ensure it happens.
Former First Treasury Counsel (top government lawyer) Jonathan Swift QC
(now Mr Justice Swift) was commissioned to investigate allegations raised.
It was not disclosed during the GLO or to the Board (so as to maintain
privilege).
March 2016
Project Bramble
Following the Swift / Chairman’s Review, POL engaged Deloitte to examine
POL’s position in response to a number of the technical allegations in
relation to the Horizon system.
The remote access findings mirrored largely those findings of the Zebra
report.
11 April 2016
Commencement of Bates v Post Office (Group
Litigation Order “GLO”)
First claim forms were issued in high court proceedings. Group action
involving over 550 current or former sub-postmasters and sub-
postmistresses who sued POL in relation to its treatment of them,
particularly in relation to alleged losses as a result of the Horizon system for
which they were blamed.
15 March 2019
Bates v Post Office
Common Issues Judgment (No 3) (“CIJ”)
This trial concerned 23 issues relating to the contractual relationship
between POL and its sub-postmasters. Mr Justice Fraser’s judgment found
that contracts were ‘relational’, meaning there was an implied general duty
of good faith in which Post Office was to operate.
16 December
2019
Bates v Post Office
Horizon Issues Judgment (No 6) (“HI”)
This trial related to technical matters about the Horizon computer system
since the original version was introduced in 1999. The court found the
Horizon system contained a number of “bugs, errors and defects.”
10 December
2019
Settlement of GLO
The Post Office agreed to pay out £58 million to the 555 Postmasters.
POL-BSFF-147-0000013_0004
POL00460586
POL00460586
SUBJECT TO CONFIDENTIALITY UNDERTAKINGS
September 2020 I Public Inquiry established The Government established a non-statutory public inquiry to investigate
the issues arising out of the Cl) and HU.
June 2021 Public Inquiry converted to Statutory Inquiry The existing non-statutory public inquiry was converted to a statutory
inquiry. This gave the Inquiry statutory powers, including to compel
evidence and witnesses.
2021 Rv Hamilton and others [2021] 1 Cr. App. R. 17
The Court of Appeal quashed the convictions of 39 sub-postmasters and
found their prosecution by the Post Office to be an “abuse of process” and
an “affront to justice”.
Bugs, Errors and Defects (“BEDs”)
Frequently referenced BEDs:
1. Callendar Square / Falkirk Bug — affected legacy Horizon. Was a
problem with Riposte (the database Horizon was built on, owned and
operated by an American firm, Escher). It could cause discrepancies in
branches and it was known internally as the "Riposte lock or unlock"
and would create duplicate transactions.
2. Dalmellington Bug / Branch Outreach Issue — surfaced in a number of
branches between 2011-2016. The screen would freeze as the user was
attempting to confirm receipt of cash.
3. Receipts and Payments mismatch bug — Horizon Online bug which
arose in September 2010.
POL-BSFF-147-0000013_0005