POST OFFICE SCANDAL: private prosecutions explained [LBC Legal Hour]

How were the Post Office able to prosecute sub-postmasters? Barrister Jeremy Scott-Joynt, a specialist in criminal fraud at Outer Temple Chambers, explains who is entitled to bring criminal prosecutions.

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♨️ IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This video is published by Employment Law Services Limited. The information in this video is for general guidance only and, although the presenters and publisher believe it was correct at the time it was recorded (January 2023), the law may have changed since then. You should always seek your own independent legal advice. Please note that for employment law, the law explained applies to England, Scotland and Wales. For all other areas of law, it applies to England only.

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[xcskidog]

Private prosecutions should be banned. Full stop

[loc]

I think the judges usually do have specialist area knowledge. The problem in these cases though was that the Post Office apparently withheld exculpatory technical evidence, which undermined their case and when that happens it doesn't really matter how otherwise informed the judge is.

The "Art Of Law" channel covers the legal-technical side in more depth if you're interested.

[jakelaughton]

It can never be right that you can be prosecuted without the state being involved. They need to be banned. The post office and RSPCA are two perfect examples of why they should be banned. If the CPS don't think a prosecution is justified then it must not happen. The CPS exists for that very reason. Having money shouldn't allow you to bypass the standards everyone else have to follow.

[TheChocoboWhisperer]

Private prosecution is necessary. Look up 'PC Mark Knights Derbyshire Police'. Sometimes the CPS and the police aren't interested in justice for you, so you have to do it yourself.

[gazza]

"We now know the computer systems weren't correct" this was known at the TIME. It was GLARINGLY obvious. They told people to literally run sales through to balance the books where these sales didn't happen, imput sales twice, that, is falsifying accounts. Imagine the headline is Tesco or someone similar was caught running every transaction twice, so it showed up every £1 made was £2.

People only care NOW because its the big TV series, nobody cared at the time. Nobody should care now, why do you care now? Its simple points scoring by Westminster now and we've all fallen for it, all the content, all the everything is now what we get mad about far afterwards. Its absurd.