19 episodes

An investigation of the largest miscarriage of justice in UK legal history. It's the story of how the Post Office systematically persecuted honest people, and how a small band of victims fought back in the face of impossible odds.

The Great Post Office Trial BBC Radio 4

    • Podcasts
    • 4.7 • 149 Ratings

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An investigation of the largest miscarriage of justice in UK legal history. It's the story of how the Post Office systematically persecuted honest people, and how a small band of victims fought back in the face of impossible odds.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    17. Facing the Music

    17. Facing the Music

    The Post Office Horizon Scandal has been called the widest miscarriage of justice in modern British history, with the number of former Sub Postmasters whose convictions have been overturned now over 60. Those who suffered prosecution or financial ruin due to errors on the Post Office's Horizon computer system want answers. How could this have happened? Who is responsible?
    Continuing the series that has helped expose the scandal since 2020, Nick Wallis draws on interviews, documents and the extraordinary revelations spilling out of the ongoing public inquiry. For the first time, the public is getting real insight into what was really going on inside the Post Office.
    In Episode 17, Nick explores how senior Post Office lawyers and managers reacted in 2013 to the biggest challenge to the Horizon system yet. After MPs forced an independent investigation which identified bugs in Horizon, the Post Office publicly backed their computer system and reaffirmed their faith in the prosecutions they had conducted. But behind the scenes, all hell was breaking loose.
    Presenter: Nick Wallis
    Producer: Robert Nicholson
    Sound Design and Mixing: Arlie Adlington
    Executive Producer: Will Yates
    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

    • 15 min
    16. Closed Ranks

    16. Closed Ranks

    The Post Office Horizon Scandal has been called the widest miscarriage of justice in modern British history, with the number of former Sub Postmasters whose convictions have been overturned now over 60. Those who suffered prosecution or financial ruin due to errors on the Post Office's Horizon computer system want answers. How could this have happened? Who is responsible?
    Continuing the series that has helped expose the scandal since 2020, Nick Wallis draws on interviews, documents and the extraordinary revelations spilling out of the ongoing public inquiry. For the first time, the public is getting real insight into what was really going on inside the Post Office.
    In Episode 16, we hear how newly revealed documents show that the Post Office rejected even internal calls for an independent investigation of Horizon. They instead commissioned a deliberately one sided internal report which never even considered evidence of errors. This report was nevertheless used to justify dismissing Sub Postmasters' concerns and maintaining an aggressive prosecution strategy.
    Presenter: Nick Wallis
    Producer: Robert Nicholson
    Sound Design and Mixing: Arlie Adlington
    Executive Producer: Will Yates
    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

    • 14 min
    15. Breaking Lee Castleton

    15. Breaking Lee Castleton

    The Post Office Horizon Scandal has been called the widest miscarriage of justice in modern British history, with the number of former Sub Postmasters whose convictions have been overturned now over 60. Those who suffered prosecution or financial ruin due to errors on the Post Office's Horizon computer system want answers. How could this have happened? Who is responsible?
    Continuing the series that has helped expose the scandal since 2020, Nick Wallis draws on interviews, documents and the extraordinary revelations spilling out of the ongoing public inquiry. For the first time, the public is getting real insight into what was really going on inside the Post Office.
    In Episode 15, we hear how the Post Office ruined the life of Lee Castleton, a Sub Postmaster based in Bridlington who was taken to court over debts he says came from the Horizon computer system. New evidence reveals that the Post Office failed to investigate Lee's claims of computer errors in depth before taking him to court, and shows that evidence that may have cast doubt on Horizon was known about but not provided at the trial.
    Presenter: Nick Wallis
    Producer: Robert Nicholson
    Sound Design and Mixing: Arlie Adlington
    Executive Producer: Will Yates
    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

    • 14 min
    14. The Prosecution Spree

    14. The Prosecution Spree

    The Post Office Horizon Scandal has been called the widest miscarriage of justice in modern British history, with the number of former Sub Postmasters whose convictions have been overturned now over 60. Those who suffered prosecution or financial ruin due to errors on the Post Office's Horizon computer system want answers. How could this have happened? Who is responsible?
    Continuing the series that has helped expose the scandal since 2020, Nick Wallis draws on interviews, documents and the extraordinary revelations spilling out of the ongoing public inquiry. For the first time, the public is getting real insight into what was really going on inside the Post Office.
    In Episode 14, we hear how the Post Office disregarded red flags about Horizon when it rolled the system out, and how flawed and incomplete prosecution policies set the stage for the mass prosecution of many innocent Sub Postmasters.
    Presenter: Nick Wallis
    Producer: Robert Nicholson
    Sound Design and Mixing: Arlie Adlington
    Executive Producer: Will Yates
    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

    • 15 min
    13. Inside the Machine

    13. Inside the Machine

    The Post Office Horizon Scandal has been called the widest miscarriage of justice in modern British history, with the number of former Sub Postmasters whose convictions have been overturned now over 60. Those who suffered prosecution or financial ruin due to errors on the Post Office's Horizon computer system want answers. How could this have happened? Who is responsible?
    Continuing the series that has helped expose the scandal since 2020, Nick Wallis draws on interviews, documents and the extraordinary revelations spilling out of the ongoing public inquiry. For the first time, the public is getting real insight into what was really going on inside the Post Office.
    Presenter: Nick Wallis
    Producer: Robert Nicholson
    Sound Design and Mixing: Arlie Adlington
    Executive Producer: Will Yates
    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

    • 15 min
    Bonus Episode: The Full Nick Read Interview

    Bonus Episode: The Full Nick Read Interview

    In this bonus episode of The Great Post Office Trial, hear Nick Wallis' full interview with Post Office CEO Nick Read - the first Post Office CEO to ever give an interview about the scandal.

    • 30 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
149 Ratings

149 Ratings

John1Rayner ,

The truth revealed

An excellent documentary of a series of terrible events that resulted from poor decisions by poor managers. I concluded that our once respected institutions are not anywhere near as trustworthy as we thought.
Brilliant journalism bringing out issues in the public’s interests. Who’d ever apply for a job at the post office ?

Macthedog ,

Fantastic journalism to disclose one of the biggest miscarriages of justice

I find it difficult to believe, this country, this government can possibly be so corrupted to carrying this extent of miscarriages of justice. To throw so many innocent hard working people under the bus, then sued them while they were lying there fighting for their life, so a few at the top can get away with it. Ultimately, the legal system that represented the Post Office are also to be hold responsible. They are similar to the legal representative of Jimmy Seville, to prosecute anyone who dares to take the Post Office to court for all their wrong doings, and counter sued a few and making sure they suffered even more to set as an example not to challenge the faulty Horizon program! Well done Mr. Nick Wallis.

Annabel UK ,

A brilliant listen

Really important and engaging podcast - everyone should listen

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