Who knew what and when? Five key questions put to the CPS

January 2020 when it was first made aware convictions were unsafe when the Hon Mr Justice Fraser wrote to the then DPP about the Horizon cases. The judge warned the CPS that important evidence given to both the High Court and Crown Court on previous occasions was not true because of bugs and errors in the system which the courts were not told about. After the letter the CPS said it alerted prosecutors and asked them immediately to flag any live cases which could be impacted, and to identify any old cases.

Q. How can the CPS be confident it will ever know the full extent of its part in the wrongful conviction of sub-postmasters if files are destroyed after as little as a year?

A. The CPS recognises that the historic nature of the cases has meant it will not be possible to identify every single prosecution. But it insists it is doing “everything possible” to disclose evidence to defendants so they can appeal. that took place on Sir Keir Starmer’s watch. Does the CPS expect to find more or is that really the total?

A. The CPS says it is not as simple as finding more files. It is working with other bodies to get the evidence and information for “a full picture”. It said speculating on final numbers was not helpful

Q. The CPS said it had found 11 cases linked to Horizon. But a letter last October says there are 99 cases where the CPS may have prosecuted in which Horizon featured. Why the disparity?

A. The CPS says it has been open and honest about its involvement in identifying 11 cases prosecuted in good faith. The CPS said the 99 figure is misleading as it includes cases where Horizon wasn’t the key evidence, and may include cases which the CPS did not prosecute.

Q. Has Sir Keir or any of his team been in touch with the CPS over possible miscarriages of justice during his time as DPP? If yes, what did this entail?

A. Neither Sir Keir nor his team have not been in touch, say the CPS

Q. When did the CPS first suspect that its Post Office convictions were unsafe?

A. The CPS says it was not until

Q. So far just three prosecutions have been identified