Post Office Inquiry: Barrister who advised on Horizon cases gives evidence

Harry Bowyer, a barrister and former employee of Cartwright King Solicitors, is due to give evidence at the Post Office inquiry today.
He wrote a three-page document for the Post Office in 2012 addressing a case in which a sub-postmistress had blamed a £38,000 shortfall on the Horizon system.
Mr Bowyer’s evidence will follow that of Hugh Flemington, a former Head of Legal at the Post Office.
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[@ahartify]

This inquiry is a bad advertisement for the law profession, it goes without saying.

[@pauldickinson5316]

Corruption is inevitable when a Government gives a corporation/company the power to police and prosecute in house.

[@cndns2]

The more evident it becomes that all these post office fools don't give a fig at the chaos, damage and destruction they created for the postmasters and postmistresses. Send them all to prison.

[@davefearon1620]

I’ve watched an hour of this and the level of incompetence and ignorance is astounding

[@HelenBlack-sn7ke]

"I can't recall" the war cry for anyone who works for POL. How would anyone who worked for the POL not be aware of major issues in the business?

[@gypseygeoff]

Incompetence rears its head yet again

[@kylerb2]

I think Mr Flemington is what they call 'damaged goods'.

[@drcharlestennant8658]

They’re all pointing their finger at others - I don’t recall and if I do it was someone else’s responsibility not mine - I hope the inquiry gets to the bottom of this and that there will be consequences in the form of prosecutions

[@alanrogers9597]

Never read the attachments ?????? what sort of lawyer is he ??? a slimy slithery lying one, or the professionally incompetent type ??

[@johnwright7895]

Well said.

[@fireskycam9889]

Watching this inquiry would make anyone think that the while legal fraternity is totally incompetent based on the testimonies of the Post Office Legal Team.

[@siewheilou399]

They advised the post office? With their conscience?

[@richardkent2200]

How did these lawyers qualify they all look and sound like low grade bank clerks

[@Frank-cd2ij]

The most important points of the enquiry is the lunch time and that they stop asking questions before 4.30pm. Not miscarriage of justice. Enquiry barristers are very polite to the PO barristers and solicitors. Not so with other PO staff. The legal experts are not accountable they are just interested in making lots of money.

[@SklynPow-ck1lt]

Omg, another case of amnesia

[@fuzzilu]

How can he not read attachments? I'm confused on that. Paid for doing nothing much at all it seems ..

[@Sprout476]

Weren't they all.

[@robbie9030]

It’s amazing how many PO people seem to have suffered from memory loss. So convenient in these circumstances to be suffering from Amnesia.

[@davefearon1620]

Slippery as an eel Can’t recall or selective memory

[@fireskycam9889]

5:18:00 - 5:26:35 Incompetence on full display. This witness displays that they had a "Win at all costs" attitude.

[@MartynHarris-gb1gg]

Lawyers are taught to deceive, that simple. Incredible evidence of professional negligence by him. The legal services statute provides all lawyers have professional negligence insurance, so as he admits he missed the critical evidence, thus has been professionally negligent, his insurance will provide compensation for his victimes. I bet his insurance will not be happy, and will do everything to get to the truth.

[@MRJERRYCURTIN]

Really hope that is the case

[@johnvaleanbaily246]

What happened at the end !

[@andrewh2u]

We need to see Post Office executives and their lying lawyers (seen here) doing jail time for this and heavy compensation for their victims and the families of lost victims.

[@cndns2]

It's also becoming clear that they are pointing the finger at others, throwing their colleagues under the bus. Perhaps there is no honor amongst thieves after all.

[@michaelbardeleben4519]

Maybe the samurai stabber had watched the live postmasters inquiry and was so sick to his stomach, he decided to go on the rampage...why don't our womderful police explore that avenue of investigation....they'll probably find a link

[@johnwright7895]

Bowyer can't stop wringing his hands.🤥

[@davefearon1620]

I can’t recall is not a defence

[@vrindersinghrandhawa6343]

When the judge and bench has your back and the qualified immunity doctrine; its not the case, its who is on your panel

[@artoflament]

Mr Bowyer. 5:12:14 ish. 'At that time there were no successful challenges to it [Horizon]'... 'At that time I hadn't seen and hadn't reviewed other cases' (that had successfully challenged Horizon). A beautiful example of double think.

[@PiperStart]

5:21:00 Mr Flemington in serious trouble and likely to lose his license as a lawyer. He should buy himself a corner shop toute de suite and start a new career.

[@fireskycam9889]

Watching this would make people think that any one in the legal team of the Post Office was totally incompetent. Either that or totally malicious.

[@johnwright7895]

Postmaster?

[@michaelmcginley7930]

These guys will go unpunished.justice does not extend to these people

[@tiberscrod9053]

Maybe open up a post office , oops! ... no wait

[@juju1957k]

No comment would be easier to say 😂

[@artoflament]

Mr Bowyer did not investigate if there had been previous cases when Horizon had been successfully challenged in court. He then took his ignorance of such to be evidence for Horizon's robustness. There must be a word to describe this trick. I didn't look, I didn't see it, therefore acting as if it wasn't there was reasonable. Please, someone, help me with my vocabulary.

[@GWills-ys6rd]

WHO'S NEXT? HMRC?

[@sellesportico]

This Head of Legal is both grossly incompetent and lying. His boss Susan was weak and out of her depth and so was he by the looks of things. What fools recruited and retained these dysfunctional managers? We will find out more when AS and PV are questioned.