Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024

Key Points

• Creates or extends offences linked to the Horizon system across England, Wales and now Northern Ireland.
• Allows for the quashing of Horizon-related convictions (for offences before the Act came into force).
• Extends the framework to Northern Ireland, with NI-specific provisions on cautions and use of NI bodies (Department of Justice NI).
• Clarifies that for cases spanning a period, the Horizon system need not have been used for the entire period to be relevant.
• Requires notification of compensation schemes and heads of loss when a court or direction to delete a caution is involved; improves transparency for those affected.

Progress

The bill began in the House of Commons in March 2024, passed all parliamentary stages with NI-related amendments, and received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024, becoming law.

Voting

During the debates, the Conservative Party generally opposed the instruction vote referenced in Scotland, while other parties (such as DUP and SNP) supported the bill’s aims. Labour proposed amendments at one point, including a clause that was later withdrawn. The amendments largely reflected government-led counterparty changes to extend the policy to Northern Ireland.