Inquiry to hold event in Scotland to explore how Horizon scandal impacted communities
The Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry is inviting sub-postmasters, family and community members from Scotland who have been affected by the scandal, to an in-person engagement session in Edinburgh on 8 October 2025.
This will be the latest engagement session hosted by the Inquiry’s listening project In Your Own Words and will explore the impact the scandal has had on communities, with a particular focus on Scottish society.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from newly formed campaign group Scottish Postmasters for Justice and Redress (SPJR), who are working to reverse the convictions of Scottish postmasters prosecuted during the scandal.
At this event, the Inquiry team hopes to gain a variety of perspectives from those who were directly and indirectly impacted.
Teema Nicholls, Head of Engagement at the Inquiry, said: “We are looking forward to hearing from those affected by this scandal in Scotland.
“We know there are many experiences from Scottish communities that haven't yet been shared with us, and this session provides an important opportunity for people to tell us their stories. These insights will help us better understand how the Horizon scandal has impacted affected individual and communities in Scotland”
Sign up for the engagement session
If you are a sub-postmaster, family or community member who felt the effects of the Horizon scandal in Scotland, and feel comfortable sharing your experiences, we encourage you to register for this event.
We would love to hear from as many of you as possible, especially those who have not yet shared their story, or attended any previous engagement events.
To register your interest in the event, please complete the following registration form by midday, 25 September.
The event will be available in-person only. If you cannot attend in person, you can share your story online via our website.
Event Details
Event Date: 8 October 2025 (Time TBC)
Location: central Edinburgh, Scotland (Venue will be confirmed with attendees).
As with the Inquiry’s public hearings, on-site confidential emotional and psychological support services will be available to attendees through PAM Wellbeing. Information about these services is available here.
What is In Your Own Words?
In Your Own Words is the Inquiry’s anonymous listening project, which aims to gather the experiences of those who were impacted by the Horizon scandal, outside of the Inquiry's proceedings.
This project aims to amplify the voices of those affected by the Horizon IT scandal and create a fuller picture of its effects.
So far, it has published two research papers exploring how families and relationships, as well as people's health have been impacted by the scandal. You can learn more about these here.
The impact of the Horizon scandal on communities
Since launching in March 2024, over 300 people have shared their experiences with In Your Own Words.
In these accounts, many people shared how the Horizon scandal impacted their local communities and others shared how they were treated within their community after being accused of theft or fraud.
To deepen our understanding of this, the Inquiry is inviting sub-postmasters and community members affected in the Scottish region to an engagement session in Edinburgh.
Here they can share their stories and experiences, helping us to gather a clearer picture of the wider effects of the scandal in Scotland and throughout Scottish communities.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The Inquiry offers free, confidential, emotional and psychological support services to those who participate in In Your Own Words, through wellbeing provider PAM Wellness. More information is available online: Wellbeing support | Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry
Read the latest paper from In Your Own Words, exploring how the Horizon scandal impacted people’s physical and mental health.
