3 ms·
A big part of the problem with these prosecutions is that the prosecuting authority is the Post Office itself. Until this case came along, I had no idea that th
by denton-scratch 3y ago
A big part of the problem with these prosecutions is that the prosecuting authority is the Post Office itself. Until this case came along, I had no idea that the Post Office had these powers.
So effectively, the Post Office was acting as both complainant and prosecuting authority.
"The Post Office Investigation Branch (IB) is the oldest recognised criminal investigations force in the world. For more than 335 years it has worked to detect offences against the post and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes."
https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/the-post-office-investigation-branch/ https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/the-post-office-investigat...
- masfuerte 3y agoAnyone can bring a prosecution in England. In theory it provides a way to hold the powerful to account but it's very expensive so almost all private prosecutions are actually by corporations.
- denton-scratch 3y agoIt's true that anyone can bring a prosecution. It's also true that the Crown Prosecution Service can take over a private prosecution, and then drop the case. Obviously, the CPS should have done this in the Post Office case. During the relevant period, the CPS was underresourced and overloaded (it still is now).