Lesson plan; Post Office scandal: how might justice be delivered to those affected?

Lesson Plan: Unraveling the Post Office Scandal and the Pursuit of Justice

 Understanding the Post Office scandal, and the horrendous way in which innocent people were treated, requires a knowledge of how subpostmasters’ contracts work. They bear all the risk of running a financial institution, with very little support from either Post Office Ltd or the government – and for that they receive very poor recompense but provide vital services, particularly in rural and deprived areas. The Guardian.

Latest news

The former Post Office boss Paula Vennells has forfeited her CBE for “bringing the honours system into disrepute” over her handling of the Horizon crisis. The Guardian The Guardian 

Hundreds of people wrongly convicted in the Post Office scandal are set to have their names cleared under new legislation planned by the government. BBC News

There have been more than 900 convictions linked to the scandal – 700 of them brought by the Post Office – with only about 100 overturned so far. It has come to be seen as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history.

Objectives:

• To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the Post Office scandal, its causes, and its devastating impact on the lives of hundreds of individuals.
• To engage students in critical thinking and analysis by examining the various remedies proposed to address the scandal’s repercussions and the ethical implications of the events.
• To encourage students to express their opinions and formulate their own perspectives on the pursuit of justice for those affected by the Post Office scandal.

Social Studies Standards

• Civics:
  • 7.1.1 Explain the role of government in addressing societal problems.
  • 7.2.1 Analyze the impact of laws, policies, and practices on individuals and society.
  • 7.3.1 Evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches to conflict resolution.

Materials:

• Article from The Guardian: “Lessons must be learned from the Post Office scandal“
• Video clip from the ITV drama “Mr Bates vs the Post Office”: “Episode 1 – Summary” (link)
• Listen to the podcast on BBC BBC podcast

Introduction

1. Begin by introducing the Post Office scandal, highlighting its significance as one of the most profound miscarriages of justice in UK history.
2. Engage students in a brief discussion to gauge their initial understanding of the scandal. Record their responses on the whiteboard or flipchart.
3. Show the video clip from the ITV drama “Mr Bates vs the Post Office” to introduce the main characters and provide a glimpse into the human impact of the scandal.

‘Here’s a guy who deserves a knighthood, here’s a guy who deserves a CBE. He should be decorated, he is the best of British.’

Martin Daubney champions Alan Bates and the individuals fighting against the Post Office scandal. pic.twitter.com/nJg3La59zL

— GB News (@GBNEWS) January 9, 2024

Reading and Analysis

1. Divide the class into small groups and let them read the article from The Guardian along with guiding questions found below.
2. Ask each group to read the article and answer the questions critically, exploring the following aspects:
   • Remedies proposed to address the Post Office scandal and their potential challenges or drawbacks
   • Ethical issues raised by the scandal and their implications
   • Roles of various entities, including the Post Office, the government, the courts, and the media, in contributing to or responding to the scandal

Reflective Writing 

1. Read the reactions to the tv series here: Letters A first-class exposé of the Post Office scandal; The Guardian. 
2. Encourage them to express their own opinions on the Post Office scandal, the pursuit of justice for those affected, and the potential remedies proposed.
3. Suggest that they use the following sentence starters to guide their writing:
   • The Post Office scandal is a complex and multifaceted issue that has had a devastating impact on the lives of hundreds of individuals.
   • Some of the remedies suggested by campaigners and experts include …
   • However, these remedies face challenges such as …
   • The ethical implications of the scandal extend to …
   • I believe that justice for those affected by the scandal will require …

Essay questions

• How did the faulty computer system Horizon affect the lives and livelihoods of the post office workers?
• What were the main challenges and obstacles faced by Alan Bates and his fellow claimants in their legal battle against the post office?
• What are the implications and lessons learned from the post office scandal for the future of public services and accountability?

Guiding questions

• What is the Post Office/Horizon scandal and how did it affect the lives of hundreds of subpostmasters?
• What is the role of private prosecutions in the criminal law system and why is it problematic in this case?
• How did Post Office Ltd conceal the flaws of the Horizon software and mislead the defendants and the courts?
• What are the challenges and risks that subpostmasters face in running their businesses and providing public services?
• How is Post Office Ltd using the compensation money to further undermine the network of branches and the livelihoods of postmasters?
• What are the implications of this scandal for the accountability and transparency of public institutions and private corporations?