“Today I can announce that we will introduce new primary legislation to make sure that those convicted as a result of the Horizon scandal are swiftly exonerated and compensated,” Sunak told parliament.
“People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own.
“The victims must get justice and compensation.”
UK Post Office used racist slur to describe black, Asian suspects in scandal
UK Post Office used racist slur to describe black, Asian suspects in scandal
Alongside the exonerations, the government will introduce a new upfront payment of £75,000 (US$95,000) for those who are part of a group litigation over the issue, Sunak said.
The government has in recent years paid almost £150 million (US$191 million) in compensation to over 2,500 total victims embroiled in the scandal, he noted.
The state-owned Post Office maintained for years that data from Horizon was reliable and accused branch managers of dishonesty.
Police have opened a fraud investigation into the Post Office, but so far, no one from the company or from Fujitsu has been arrested or faced criminal charges. A public inquiry has been ongoing since 2022.
While the scandal has rumbled on for years, it hit the headlines again this week after a hit TV docudrama renewed outrage over it. The ITV show, Mr. Bates vs the Post Office, charted a two-decade battle by branch manager Alan Bates, played by Toby Jones, to expose the truth and clear the wronged postal workers.
On Tuesday, ex-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells said she would relinquish the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire that she received in 2018. An online petition calling for her to be stripped of the honour had garnered more than 1.2 million supporters.