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Author Chris Baber1, Brandon King2, Paul Salmon2 and Yihao Jiang1 |
| Abstract In this paper we use the Post Office Horizon scandal. Broadly, accounting errors arising from a computer system were falsely attributed to Subpostmasters who were subsequently accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting. Over 700 prosecutions have been successfully appealed and convictions quashed. Coupled with severe technical shortcomings, there was confirmation bias in the decisions of Post Office Limited to prosecute Subpostmasters and an assumption in UK Law that computers do not make mistakes (unless proven otherwise). From a review of evidence and newspaper reports of specific cases in the Post Office Horizon scandal, we construct and analyse Accimaps. We argue that a common problem across these cases is how different sorts of ‘black box’ of the Horizon system meant that it lacked transparency for all stakeholders. |
