Alan Bates should be given a knighthood

WE are now going into an age where the old excuse, “It’s the system’s fault” is reeled out when things go wrong – as they now do with many organisations. We see this daily on TV and read it in newspapers.

Then we get meaningless statements including, “We apologise”, “We are sorry” and “We have lessons to learn”, without any solutions or real substance.

Many people have to put up considerable evidence and arguments against poor decisions and injustice to stand the smallest of chances against large corporate purse and the legal advice this can buy. Justice? There is little if any but heroes do come along – such as wronged postmaster Alan Bates.

This gentleman deserves a knighthood for his tenacity, durability and skills over 20 years to start to bring justice and in pursuit of the truth (the whole truth and nothing but the truth) for thousands of innocent people wrongfully accused and their suffering over decades.

We must also be grateful to writers, producers, directors and actors to bring the Post Office debacle to prominent awareness so that certain MPs are skilfully and determinedly taken to task to identify this gross injustice regarding the sub-postmasters.

So, it’s not about the system but about the people who design, implement, monitor, manage and audit systems. I was taught at college during IT lessons the term GIGO as a lecturer called this – Garbage In Garbage Out. How right he was. I quickly learnt one needs ‘the facts and nothing but the relevant facts’.

How many people are suffering in silence or getting nowhere, where wrongly accused in many other areas? Please come forward.

We need sound human integrity and due diligence in all systems, otherwise we will have serious problems with the development and implementation of Artificial Intelligence. One needs to be honest and fair in whatever system one is involved, and to immediately identify potential or actual problems and not to be put off this stance in pursuit of quality services, justice and fairness.

One needs to immediately admit when one is wrong, or there is an issue, or a potential one.

We must not look for easy victims to pass the buck, however significant the matter this is or not – not least because of the personal consequences this causes others. David Bonomi

Bristol