In full: Post Office's most senior lawyer gives evidence at Horizon inquiry

The Post Office inquiry will today hear evidence from Susan Crichton, the Post Office’s former most senior in-house lawyer.
Last week, a legal chief for the Post Office told the inquiry he was not proud to work for the organisation in the wake of the Horizon scandal.
Rodric Williams, formerly a litigation lawyer for the company and now its head of legal for dispute resolution and brand, is facing calls to be sacked.
However, he told the inquiry into the IT scandal: “I take no pride, comfort or confidence in having worked for an employer that has engaged in conducting the greatest miscarriage of justice that we’ve seen”, adding that he was “truly sorry” for being associated with it.
Mr Williams also admitted in his evidence last week that the Post Office’s response to the presence of bugs in the Horizon IT system could be seen as a “cover-up”.
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[@user-rn6ky6hq7f]

The first lie was when she took the oath.

[@HelenBlack-sn7ke]

Did she say "I can't remember"? what a surprise, a senior PO manager who can't remember. A bare faced liar.

[@MrPinkStrat]

I can't help Thinking That Many Under Qualified People were in TOP Positions

[@OneEyedDronie]

I'm not sure if these people actually think we are falling for the rank BS?? Jail!

[@timtam6442]

She’s gonna love prison food when she’s found guilty of perverting the course of justice

[@0x0oxo]

Staggering what this woman can't recall.. or what she says she doesn't know. She presents herself as one who does very little. There is a legal step a judge can take which is known as "adverse inference" “Whether the drawing of adverse inferences from an accused’s silence infringes Article 6 is a matter to be determined in the light of all the circumstances of the case, having particular regard to the situations where inferences may be drawn, the weight to be attached to them by national courts in their assessment of the evidence and the degree of compulsion inherent in the situation.” (Murray (John) v UK (1996) 22 E.H.R.R. 29.) Sections 34 and 35 are, per se, not a breach of the ECHR. In Condron v UK (2001) 31 E.H.R.R. 1, the Strasbourg Court recognized that the CJPOA aims to strike an appropriate balance between the right to silence and the drawing of adverse inferences. Particular caution is required before an adverse inference can be drawn, but in a situation when an explanation is clearly called for from the defendant, then his silence will be relevant in assessing the persuasiveness of the evidence adduced by the prosecution.

[@peterbennett5910]

Disgusting followed by disgusting follows disgusting what a disgrace

[@rosewhite---]

why should this top lawyer be head of HR?

[@boondoggle6]

An apology that insults us all; memory loss that amounts to lying, and she is sitting on millions that belongs to postmasters. At least this testimony tells us that Paula Vennells was completely out of her depth as well, having to rely on her husband for another word for 'bugs' - laughable if it wasn't so evil.

[@donnaheller4394]

I'm staggered this is still going on! Surely this could have gone more quickly in the judicial system. Sad for all who were affected by those in charge.

[@christofferknight8567]

She knew.. End off

[@bingbong6467]

If i were at board level in a large UK organisation I'd be keeping a very keen eye on this its got big implications that are going to reverberate

[@rosewhite---]

Vennells is the real culprit who first asked for Second Sight to report then didn't like the report and blamed Crichton frt the report being bad and highlighting the bugs were responsible for all the losses.

[@HelenBlack-sn7ke]

6.13 Cry me a river Susan: "I must have been in a really bad state". Imagine the state of the Sub postmasters, imprisoned, paying back money they didn't owe, losing their homes, their lives.

[@rosewhite---]

the emails make it sound like THE BOARD are gods!"

[@rosewhite---]

When do they get round to discussing how the basement team in Fujitsu could alter spm balances - and where did the money go! Was one of the Fujitsu basement team skimming money off into a secret account for themselves?

[@stub6378]

Was there a culture of not talking about bugs. Shows email that she wants to drive the renaming. Rat.

[@Sebastian-pc1qf]

So where did all the short fall of money go? Horizon or post office accounts? Someone been dishonest?