A NEW law to quash the convictions of those snared in the Post Office Horizon scandal will not be UK-wide in a move branded “extremely disappointing” by the Scottish government.

More than 700 subpostmasters across the UK were convicted between 1999 and 2015 after being wrongfully accused of embezzlement as a result of flaws in Fujitsu’s Horizon accounting programme adopted by the Post Office.

The scandal cost victims their careers, freedom and, in some cases, their lives.

New legislation to quash the convictions is being rushed through Parliament with the intention of coming into law before its summer recess.

But it will not cover those wrongfully convicted of embezzling Post Office funds in either Northern Ireland or Scotland. 

Scotland’s Justice Secretary Angela Constance had warned last week that the decision to exclude Scotland from the legislation would lead to “inevitable” delays for the 100 subpostmasters thought to have been convicted in the Scottish courts.

She said: “We, along with the Northern Ireland Executive, urged the UK government to introduce UK-wide legislation as the best way to ensure there is a quick, fair and equal solution for all affected subpostmasters, particularly as the Post Office is reserved to Westminster, so this announcement is extremely disappointing.

“It is not too late for the UK government to change their position but if this continues to be refused, we will introduce Scottish legislation that delivers justice for all those affected.

“It is likely that this would need to be passed after a UK Bill is passed to ensure full compatibility with UK legislation and the UK compensation scheme, in which the Scottish government has no locus, but we will do everything in our power to work as quickly as possible.”