Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Bill
The Bill overturns convictions relating to the period when the Post Office was using the Horizon IT system.
The Bill was passed on 30 May 2024 and became an Act on 13 June 2024
Contents
Overview
The Bill relates to offences of dishonesty that were prosecuted in Horizon-related cases. Any convictions for such offences will be overturned on the day that the Bill comes into force.
Scottish Ministers must take reasonable steps to identify the convictions which will be overturned. Ministers will be given the power to request information from relevant bodies to do this.
Scottish Ministers will also need to take steps to notify anyone whose conviction has been overturned. Where a person has died, their personal representatives should be notified.
Scottish Ministers will also have powers to tell Police Scotland to delete records of any alternative to prosecution given for a Horizon-related crime.
You can read more about what the Bill does in the Explanatory Notes (170KB, pdf) posted 14 May 2024
Why the Bill was created
In March, the UK Government introduced the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to overturn convictions for Horizon-related offences. The Scottish Government is introducing this Bill to cover offences prosecuted in Scotland.
You can read more about why this Bill has been created in the Policy Memorandum (227KB, pdf) posted 14 May 2024