The Post Office prosecutions scandal in the United Kingdom is considered the nation’s greatest mass miscarriage of justice. However, it is a complex and maddening issue to write about, given the numerous personal and systemic failures involved. The journalist Nick Wallis has produced a book on the matter, which offers valuable insight. A statutory inquiry is also underway to investigate what happened, why it happened, and how to prevent a recurrence. While much blame falls on the Post Office management and their lawyers, and on software provider Fujitsu, this series of posts focuses on the failure of the law itself and court procedures. One significant aspect is the presumption that computers are operating correctly unless proven otherwise. This presumption can lead to miscarriages of justice if it is unrealistic or if challenging it is unrealistic. This post explores the historical context of this presumption in English law and its implications. The next post will delve into why and how this presumption was repealed in 1999.
https://emptycity.substack.com/p/computer-says-guilty-an-introduction