Sir, – My interest was piqued a dozen years ago when Fujitsu rolled out a computer system called Horizon.
It was the “largest non-military IT system in Europe” and about 40,000 terminals were installed in all Post Offices across the UK.
In no time at all hundreds of sub-postmasters were prosecuted for fraud and false accounting.
It should have been obvious to anyone with a passing knowledge of computers that a critical element of the Horizon system wasn’t functioning properly and causing financial discrepancies at branch level.
When Lord Justice Holroyde quashed the convictions of 39 sub-postmasters this scandal was confirmed as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.
Too late to save wrecked lives and suicides, he rightly described the Post Office prosecutions as “an affront to the conscience of the court”.
While the present focus must be on justice for victims, a public inquiry is required.
The corporate ethics as well as the judicial flaws which allow corporations to misuse our courts must be addressed.
Dr John Cameron.
Howard Place, St Andrews.
Enter voluntarily then you can leave
Sir, – Adam Tomkins, former MSP and professor of law, wrote a piece for the press stating that Scotland should remain part of the union by force of law.
Does he really believe this or has he just had a moment of mouth opening before brain is engaged?
On the other hand was he testing the waters for the chumocracy inside the conservative government to actually consider this crazy notion?
The act of union we are told was a voluntary union (even when we know the aliens act certainly played a party in forcing Scotland into union) which means if you enter into a voluntary agreement you can leave voluntarily.
Let’s hope there is no more talk of using force on people who hold different views from conservatives.
Bryan Auchterlonie.
Bluebell Cottage, Perth.
Adding hypocrisy to list of Ross’s failings
Sir, – For the last several years the Tory Government at Westminster has been embroiled in scandal after scandal.
Ministers have been found to have broken not only the ministerial code, but the law too.
Sleaze, cronyism and corruption has walked hand in hand with Boris Johnson’s government.
All the while, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross who, as an MP, can have a direct influence on investigating these matters has remained silent.
However, I read (Lobbying concerns must not continue, says Ross Courier, April 24) that even Mr Ross has been stirred to comment regarding the latest “texts for contracts” scandal.
But Mr Ross does not want to see precipitous action; oh no.
It does seem odd that he takes this stance when we recall that Scotland’s First Minister was subject to two separate inquiries into her conduct recently and before either had reported Douglas Ross had his lackeys in the Scottish Parliament lay down a motion of “no confidence” in Nicola Sturgeon.
Mr Ross’s many inadequacies have been exposed in this election campaign and we can now add hypocrisy to his list of failings.
Henry Malcolm.
Clepington Road, Dundee.
Praise for malaria breakthrough
Sir, – It is heartening news that a team at Oxford University is the first to develop a malaria vaccine which meets the World Health Organisation goal of 75% efficacy.
This terrible disease kills one child in Africa every 30 seconds, nearly 3,000 each day.
Over a million people die of malaria each year most of them children under five years old.
This vaccine will more to benefit the world than Britain’s grossly misspent foreign aid budget of over £10 billion.
Also, this should remind us that Britain is a forward looking country engaging with and helping to solve the world’s most difficult problems; a country we should be proud of.
Otto Inglis.
Ansonhill, Crossgates.
