A former sub-postmaster, wrongfully convicted in the Post Office Horizon scandal, has launched a support group to push for faster compensation payments in Scotland. Rab Thomson, who had his conviction overturned last year, says the process has been too slow, leaving many victims in limbo.
Scotland ‘Lagging Behind’ in Compensation Payouts
Thomson argues that Scotland is falling behind England and Wales in issuing redress to those affected by the faulty Horizon IT system. The National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NSFP) and former MP Marion Fellows are backing his campaign, which aims to provide both legal and medical support to victims.
“No matter how much money you are going to get, it will not bring back my mother or people who took their own lives,” Thomson said. “What we’re looking for is people to be happy again and move on from this nightmare.”
900 Wrongful Convictions, 141 Cases in Scotland
The Horizon scandal has been described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in modern times, with more than 900 sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015.
In Scotland, new legislation came into force in June 2024, identifying 141 potential cases for review. Of these:
- 96 cases were confirmed as Horizon-related.
- 64 convictions have been quashed as of February 2025.
- 11 cases are still under assessment.
Compensation Payments Lagging
While the Scottish government oversees legal exonerations, financial compensation is handled by the UK government through the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS). So far, £768 million has been paid out to 5,100 claimants across the UK, out of an estimated 9,800 victims.
Thomson believes many elderly victims in Scotland are hesitant to come forward, fearing bureaucratic hurdles. “What we are trying to do is get the redress to the people who are entitled to it. It has taken far too long.”
With his newly formed Scottish Postmasters for Justice and Redress Group, he hopes to pressure decision-makers to speed up the process and ensure victims receive justice and financial compensation without further delays.
