Timetables

Opening Statements, Phase 2, and December Compensation Hearing

Compensation - 8 December 2022

On 22 September the Chair announced his intention to hold a one-day hearing on issues relating to compensation.

Sir Wyn will hear oral submissions from legal representatives on behalf of the following core participants.

Further information is available here. Timings are provisional and may be subject to change. Any live schedule changes during proceedings are posted on the Inquiry’s Twitter channel.  The hearings will be streamed, on a 3 minute delay, via the Inquiry's YouTube channel

Thursday 8 December

Core Participant

Morning 

10:00 - 13:00

 

Post Office Limited 

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 

Hudgell Solicitors on behalf of sub-postmaster Core Participants they represent  

Lunch break

Afternoon

14:00 - 16:30

Hodge Jones & Allen on behalf of sub-postmaster Core Participants they represent 

Howe + Co on behalf of sub-postmaster Core Participants they represent 

 

Timetable – Phase 2 

Timings are provisional and may be subject to change. Hearings will normally take place from 10:00 – 16:30 with a break for lunch. On Fridays proceedings will normally conclude at 15:00. 

Any live schedule changes during proceedings are posted on the Inquiry’s Twitter channel.  

Please note that many individuals who are listed below have held various posts during the period that is covered by the Inquiry. The job titles listed below are provided as a guide only. 

Date 

Witness 

Evidence Week 1 – Introduction to Horizon 

18 October 

Charles Cipione – Technical Expert  

20 October (witness 2 may be heard on 20 and/or 21 Oct) 

UPDATE: 10:15 start

John Roberts – former Managing Director Group Services, Post Office Ltd 

Paul Rich – former Development Director, Post Office Counters Ltd 

21 October 

Peter Copping – former Director, PA Consulting Group 

Evidence Week 2 – Procurement and Executive Decisions 

25 October 

Keith Todd – former Chief Executive, ICL 

26 October 

Anthony Oppenheim – former Commercial and Finance Director, ICL Pathway

27 October (witness 2 may be heard on 27 and/or 28 Oct) 

Terence Austin – former Systems Programme Director, ICL Pathway 

John Bennett – former Sales and Marketing Director, ICL  

28 October

UPDATE: 10:15 start

David Miller – former Horizon Programme Director, Post Office Ltd 

Evidence Week 3 – Corporate Knowledge 

1 November (witness 2 may be heard on 1 and/or 2 Nov)

Mike Coombs – former Horizon Programme Director, ICL Pathway 

Stuart Sweetman – former Managing Director, Post Office Counters Ltd 

2 November (witness 2 may be heard on 2 and/or 3 Nov) 

Stuart Sweetman – former Managing Director, Post Office Counters Ltd (contd.)

Jeremy Folkes – former Infrastructure Assurance Team Leader, Horizon Programme, Post Office Counters Ltd

3 November 

Jeremy Folkes – former Infrastructure Assurance Team Leader, Horizon Programme, Post Office Counters Ltd (contd.)

Andrew Simpkins – former Programme Management Team (trial/rollout/releases), Post Office Counters Ltd 

4 November 

Jonathan Evans – former Network Director, Post Office Counters Ltd; former Company Secretary, Post Office Ltd 

Evidence Week 4 – Technical Issues 

8 November 

Alan D’Alvarez – Programme Executive, Fujitsu

Graham Allen – Operations Manager for Post Office Account, Fujitsu 

9 November (witness 2 may be heard on 9 and/or 10 Nov) 

John Simpkins – Team Leader of Software Support Centre for the Horizon IT system, Fujitsu 

Mark Ascott – Lead Test Practitioner, Fujitsu

10 November 

Mark Jarosz – Lead Domain Architect, Fujitsu  

Peter Jeram – Head of the Digital Systems Platform Unit, Fujitsu 

Evidence Week 5 – Technical Issues (continued) 

15 November (witness 2 may be heard on 15 and/or 16 Nov) 

Robert Booth – Solutions Architect, Post Office Ltd 

John Meagher – project management, Horizon Programme, Post Office Ltd

16 November 

David McDonnell – former Development Manager, ICL

Jan Holmes – former Audit Manager, ICL

17 November 

Charles Cipione – Technical Expert 

Evidence Week 6 – Government

23 November 

11:15 start

David Sibbick, former civil servant, Department of Trade and Industry

24 November 

Stephen Byers – former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; former Chief Secretary to the Treasury 

Sarah Graham – former civil servant, Department of Social Security 

25 November 

Vincent Gaskell – former civil servant, Benefits Agency 

Sir Adrian Montague – former Chief Executive, Private Finance Initiative Taskforce, HM Treasury 

Evidence Week 7 – Government and Unions

29 November 

Sir Steve Robson – former civil servant, HM Treasury 

Lord Alistair Darling – former Chief Secretary to the Treasury; former Secretary of State for Social Security; and former Chancellor  

Tony Kearns - Senior Deputy General Secretary, Communication Workers Union

30 November 

Colin Baker – former General Secretary, National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP)

Sir Ian McCartney – former Minister of State at Department of Trade and Industry

1 December

UPDATE: 09:30 start

Sir Ian McCartney – former Minister of State at Department of Trade and Industry (continued)

Alan Johnson – General Secretary, Communication Workers Union; former Minister, Department of Trade and Industry

Sir Geoffrey Mulgan – former civil servant, No. 10 

2 December 

Alan Milburn – former Chief Secretary to HM Treasury

John Peberdy – former Chair, NFSP Negotiating Committee, former National President, NFSP

Closing statements (Phase 2) on behalf of Core Participants to the Inquiry

 

Opening Statements

All Core Participants to the Inquiry have been given the opportunity to have their legal representatives make opening statements on their behalf. A list of all Core Participants and their legal representatives is available here.  

Timings are provisional and may be subject to change. Any live schedule changes during proceedings are posted on the Inquiry’s Twitter channel. 

All hearings are streamed, on a 3 minute delay, via the Inquiry's YouTube channel

Date 

Time 

Opening statements from legal representatives 

11 October 

10:30 – 13:00 

14:00 – 16:30 

Counsel to the Inquiry 

Counsel to the Inquiry 

12 October 

10:00 – 13:00 

14:00 – 16:10

Counsel to the Inquiry 

Counsel to the Inquiry

13 October 

10:00 – 16:30 

Howe + Co on behalf of Core Participants they represent 

Hudgell Solicitors on behalf of Core Participants they represent 

Hodge, Jones & Allen on behalf of Core Participants they represent 

National Federation of Subpostmasters 

14 October 

10:00 – 13:00 

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 

UK Government Investments 

Fujitsu 

Post Office Limited