Shaping the Legacy Project: read-out from October engagement session
Inquiry Engagement Lead, Teema Nicholls, speaks to participants at engagement session.
In October, the Inquiry invited former sub-postmasters, branch managers, assistants, family members and others affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal to attend an engagement session led by the Inquiry Secretariat. As part of the event, the attendees were introduced to plans for a Legacy Project that helps to ensure the effects of the Horizon scandal cannot be forgotten and asked to share their thoughts and ideas.
The event was delivered on a hybrid basis with around 70 people attending both in person and online. We want to say thank you for all those who took the time to attend and contribute to the event. We found the discussions informative and insightful.
The attendees shared with us what a Legacy Project means to them and what it should cover. There was a request that the concept and context reflect what the victims of the scandal have experienced, and that it should tackle the social stigma many still face.
It was also expressed strongly that the project should ensure accountability, so that the memory and evidence of what attendees called “the greatest miscarriage of justice” is marked in history and is not ignored. The Inquiry was invited to consider both physical memorials and social elements, such as plaques outside post offices, exhibitions in museums and a creation of a forum that would help victims come together. Some expressed preference for a ‘living’ project rather than something physical.
The Inquiry was also asked to consider the longer lasting change a legacy project might bring such as reflecting the experiences of sub-postmasters’ families, informing the next generation, remembering those who are no longer with us and leaving no one behind.
The session also heard ideas for wider activity beyond the Inquiry, such as an advice hub for whistleblowers to help prevent future miscarriages of justice, a scholarship to turn the scandal into a learning opportunity for future generations of legal professionals, and a change in the law relating to computer evidence.
Inquiry Chair, Sir Wyn Williams, addresses engagement session participants.
Summary
We are pleased to see how engaged attendees were and how varied the responses have been. This gives us a lot to consider and reflect upon as we continue to gather views to shape the project.
Next steps
Engagement: a continuing conversation
The October engagement session is the first of a number of conversations we plan to have about the Legacy Project and generally. There will be numerous opportunities to inform and feed into the project as it develops. There will be more information about how you can get involved will our engagement activity in due course.
We look forward to continuing these conversations and hearing from others in due course.
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