911爆料网

A research project helping victims of the Post Office Scandal - widely considered to be one of the largest miscarriages of justice in the UK - has been nominated for a prestigious research impact award by ESRC.

The study looks at the legal failings associated with the Post Office scandal to support improvements in culture and ethical practice to prevent similar injustice occurring in the future. The research team includes Dr Karen Nokes (UCL Laws), Professor Richard Moorhead, Professor Rebecca Helm and Dr Sally Day (University of Exeter) and Paul Gilbert (LBC Wise Counsel), with Alex White (UCL Laws) providing additional communications support.

The research team have conducted survey research, carried out research interviewsand analysed Inquiry evidence to collect data on the impact of the scandal. The research team have produced a series of working papers identifying lawyer misconduct and incompetence as a central cause of the scandal, and demonstrated the impact of the extraordinary mental health harms of victims caused by false accusations and convictions of debts and thefts. The work has assisted in the claimants鈥� arguments to the inquiry and for compensation. The team鈥檚 research supported arguments proposed by the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board for a blanket exoneration for all convicted sub-postmasters.

Dr Karen Nokes said:聽

鈥淭he Post Office scandal is a complex and multi-faceted phenomena involving actions that have had and continue to have a devastating impact on the lives of thousands of individuals, and their families.聽The Scandal should stand as a watershed moment for all lawyers to reflect on how they think and behave. Lawyers played a pivotal role in the Scandal and one of the central aims of our research is to explore the factors that influence lawyers to make poor and/or unethical decisions.鈥�

The , now in its 12th year, recognises the success of ESRC-funded researchers in achieving and enabling outstanding economic or societal impact from their research.

ESRC Executive Chair Stian Westlake said:

鈥淭he Celebrating Impact Prize is the Economic and Social Research Council鈥檚 way of recognising the remarkable achievements of the UK鈥檚 outstanding economists and social scientists.

鈥淭hese researchers have made valuable contributions in many fields, from reducing the impact on children of parental conflict to unveiling the corporate malfeasance involved in the Post Office scandal.鈥�

Image credit: UCL Imagestore