Delayed Justice Exposed

In a newsletter shared with Sky News, Sir Alan delivered sharp criticism of the Group Litigation Order (GLO) compensation scheme, calling it a "gravy train" that benefits government lawyers at the expense of the victims. He further accused the scheme of prioritizing income for lawyers over adequate settlements for those affected by the Post Office scandal.

"The department is run by government-employed flimflam artists, whose only role is to draw out the GLO Scheme," Sir Alan remarked, asserting that the process has been deliberately prolonged to minimize payouts and drown victims in bureaucracy.

The GLO scheme, one of four established to compensate sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft due to errors in the Horizon accounting system, emerged after Sir Alan led 555 sub-postmasters to victory in a landmark High Court case. Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds were unjustly prosecuted, with claims now being reviewed for compensation. The government initially offered a minimum of £75,000 in compensation to each claimant, though many, according to Sir Alan, have claims that far exceed this amount.

Some claimants, particularly elderly individuals, have accepted lower settlements than they deserve simply to conclude the drawn-out process. Sir Alan raised concerns that the Department for Business and Trade may be intentionally prolonging the issue to wear down victims, some of whom have already passed away while waiting for compensation.

A spokesperson for the Department responded, emphasizing their commitment to providing swift redress and outlining steps taken to accelerate payments, including launching a new Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme. However, the delays and insufficient offers continue to leave many sub-postmasters feeling unheard and undervalued.

Sir Alan has urged the government to set a firm deadline of March for finalizing payments to ensure justice for all affected.