Post Office Scandal Brought to Stage as New Play Exposes One of Britain's Greatest Miscarriages of Justice

A theatrical production exposing one of the most profound miscarriages of justice in British legal history will take centre stage in Doncaster next year, bringing to light the human cost of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal. Glitch - The True Story of the Post Office Scandal, scheduled for performance at Cast on February 25, 2026, dramatises the experiences of subpostmasters wrongfully prosecuted based on flawed accounting software.

The production emerges as public scrutiny of the scandal intensifies, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak having described it in 2024 as "one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history." The play, commissioned by the University of Reading, was developed through extensive collaboration with affected sub-postmasters and key figures from the legal proceedings that ultimately exposed the systemic failures.

Background and Context

Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted more than 900 subpostmasters for theft, fraud, and false accounting based on data from Horizon, an accounting software system developed by Fujitsu. The software, implemented across Post Office branches nationwide, contained unexplained faults that created apparent financial shortfalls in branch accounts. Despite mounting evidence of technical issues, the Post Office continued to pursue prosecutions, with approximately 700 cases brought directly by the organization.

The scandal, alternatively known as the Horizon IT scandal, represents one of the most extensive wrongful prosecution episodes in British legal history. Beyond those convicted, many other subpostmasters faced devastating consequences—including forced repayment of phantom shortfalls, contract termination, bankruptcy, and loss of livelihoods. The human toll has been severe, with the events linked to at least thirteen suicides and countless family breakdowns.

Key Figures and Entities

The play centres on Pam Stubbs, who served as sub-postmistress of Barkham Post Office for over two decades before becoming entangled in the scandal. A respected community figure, Stubbs represents hundreds of subpostmasters whose lives were upended when unexplained discrepancies appeared in their accounts. Her story, along with those of colleagues, illustrates how trusted community members found themselves suddenly accused of criminality due to technical failures beyond their control.

Corporate records and court documents reveal how the Post Office hierarchy, backed by legal counsel, maintained confidence in Horizon's reliability despite internal concerns. High Court judgments would later determine that the Post Office had consistently failed to disclose reasonable doubts about the system's accuracy during prosecutions.

Legal and Financial Mechanisms

The scandal operated through a combination of technological opacity and legal asymmetry. Subpostmasters, typically operating as independent contractors rather than direct employees, bore financial responsibility for branch accounts. When Horizon indicated shortfalls, the Post Office could pursue criminal prosecutions through its own powers, while subpostmasters lacked resources to challenge sophisticated technical evidence.

Subsequent Court of Appeal rulings have demonstrated how this power imbalance enabled the miscarriage of justice. In 2021, the Court overturned 39 convictions, determining that Horizon system failures represented a material issue that should have been disclosed during original trials. These judgments have paved the way for hundreds of additional appeals.

International Implications and Policy Response

The Post Office scandal has prompted wider examination of institutional accountability in the British justice system. Questions remain about why warnings from subpostmasters were systematically dismissed and why oversight mechanisms failed to prevent the scale of wrongful prosecutions. The case has highlighted particular vulnerabilities for small business operators facing accusations from larger corporate entities.

Policy responses have included the establishment of a public inquiry examining the scandal's causes and consequences. Meanwhile, legislative discussions continue about reforming corporate criminal powers and strengthening protections for independent contractors facing potential prosecution from commercial partners.

Sources

This report draws on court judgments from the UK Judiciary, public statements from government officials, corporate information about the Post Office and Fujitsu, and publicly available information about theatrical productions. Further details about the play are available through the Cast theatre in Doncaster.