2 ms·

witness statements are frequently collaboratively written/edited and then signed by the witness... I don't think collaboration or editing is in itself a crime

witness statements are frequently collaboratively written/edited and then signed by the witness... I don't think collaboration or editing is in itself a crime - the crime is to sign a statement which you know to be untrue or deceiving.

EasyMark 3y ago
But it seems pretty obvious these lawyers were covering up for their customers. That would fall under being fraudulent, no?
- denton-scratch 3y ago
  The lawyers produced "template" statements, that witnesses were supposed to complete by filling in the blanks. These templates included various forms of words that they wanted included, e.g. to avoid having to prove in court, for each case, that the Horizon software was behaving correctly. I don't think that amounts to "covering up" - after all, these lawyers were paid advocates for their client, the Post Office. The real covering-up was the PO lawyers' failure to hand over to the defence evidence that might support the defence case. That's criminal (perverting the course of justice), and also, in the words of the appeal court judge, "an affront to justice".