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The fact that the prosecutions continued for so long and that it took so long for the scandal to be dealt with is undoubtedly a huge failure of the legal system

The fact that the prosecutions continued for so long and that it took so long for the scandal to be dealt with is undoubtedly a huge failure of the legal system. It's also concerning that more people aren't asking questions about how and why the judicial system wasn't able to look at appropriate challenges to the Horizon evidence here - there is a big potential systemic problem there. But sadly it seems people would rather focus on questions about who was entitled to prosecute which seems like a bit of a sideshow. Having said that, I think a mass exoneration via legislation was exactly the right approach to this (even if it took too long to happen). The judicial system is quite rightly built to focus on individual cases and by necessity this would have meant a long, stressful and potentially expensive administrative process at the least for all involved showing that their convictions would have been unsafe without Horizon evidence.

belter 2y ago
> It's also concerning that more people aren't asking questions about how and why the judicial system wasn't able to look at appropriate challenges to the Horizon evidence here - there is a big potential systemic problem there. This is the core of the issue. And sadly not addressed, meaning it can happen again.
- jack_riminton 2y ago
  The "computer is always right" precedent is now being challenged by the Chartered Institute for IT https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/it-experts-call-for-review-of-computer-is-always-right/5118414.article https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/it-experts-call-for-review-... It's astonishing this 'guilty until proven innocent' approach has ever been allowed to stand up in court
  - belter 2y ago
    It's astonishing, that the courts allowed to stand the argument, software with no defects, had been produced and put in production, for the first time in the history of Computer Science. And by Fujitsu from all companies....
    - rcxdude 2y ago
      It's more that the courts would presume that the software was working correctly for the purposes of the evidence provided by it for the prosecution, unless evidence was presented otherwise by the other side. But of course when that's the default it's quite hard to get the access to collect that evidence, especially if you're an individual with limited funds (even more so if you got bullied into paying fines beforehand).

belter 2y ago

> It's also concerning that more people aren't asking questions about how and why the judicial system wasn't able to look at appropriate challenges to the Horizon evidence here - there is a big potential systemic problem there. This is the core of the issue. And sadly not addressed, meaning it can happen again.

jack_riminton 2y ago
The "computer is always right" precedent is now being challenged by the Chartered Institute for IT https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/it-experts-call-for-review-of-computer-is-always-right/5118414.article https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/it-experts-call-for-review-... It's astonishing this 'guilty until proven innocent' approach has ever been allowed to stand up in court
- belter 2y ago
  It's astonishing, that the courts allowed to stand the argument, software with no defects, had been produced and put in production, for the first time in the history of Computer Science. And by Fujitsu from all companies....
  - rcxdude 2y ago
    It's more that the courts would presume that the software was working correctly for the purposes of the evidence provided by it for the prosecution, unless evidence was presented otherwise by the other side. But of course when that's the default it's quite hard to get the access to collect that evidence, especially if you're an individual with limited funds (even more so if you got bullied into paying fines beforehand).