Police investigation into Post Office scandal lawyers won’t conclude until 2027 at the earliest
The criminal charging decisions related to lawyers involved in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal are unlikely to be made until late 2027, police have confirmed. The delay comes as investigators from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) revealed that, while five individuals have already been interviewed under caution, further interviews are scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
The current phase of the inquiry, part of Operation Olympos, is focused on civil and criminal lawyers, investigators, and members of the Post Office security team. Investigators have identified 53 people of interest in this phase, with a selection of these individuals already questioned. However, Commander Stephen Clayman, leading the investigation, stated that charging decisions would likely not be made until after the Post Office Inquiry’s second report, which is expected sometime next year.
This delay has pushed the timeline for potential criminal charges related to the scandal well into 2027. The investigation, which began in 2020, aims to explore the role of both Post Office executives and external contractors involved in the scandal. However, the scope of the inquiry into executives’ actions is expected to take even longer before any formal charges are brought.
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Clayman expressed his understanding of the public’s desire for swift justice, noting the importance of ensuring that any cases brought meet the criminal standard of proof. “The danger of rushing is that we shortcut and run into problems,” he explained during a recent press briefing.
Currently, investigators are not pursuing fraud charges but are focusing on potential cases of perjury and perverting the course of justice. The team is also considering whether to investigate charges related to corporate or gross negligence, though this is complicated by the high legal threshold for such offences.
Operation Olympos, set up in 2020, follows concerns about the flawed Horizon IT system, which was used by the Post Office between 2000 and 2017. This system led to over 700 wrongful convictions of sub-postmasters, with many facing criminal prosecution based on evidence generated by the faulty software. The scandal is considered the largest miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history, with allegations that the Post Office knowingly used Horizon system discrepancies to prosecute innocent employees.
Clayman also confirmed that international cooperation is part of the investigation, as some individuals of interest reside abroad. This adds another layer of complexity to an already lengthy and detailed process.