Sir Alan Bates Knighted for Horizon IT Advocacy

Sir Alan Bates, a prominent campaigner against the Horizon IT scandal, was knighted by Princess Anne for his efforts in exposing the injustices faced by wrongfully prosecuted sub-postmasters. Bates, who founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, criticized the Labour Government for its lack of communication with victims awaiting compensation. He highlighted that over 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully convicted between 1999 and 2015 due to faulty accounting software, marking it as a significant miscarriage of justice in UK history. With a public inquiry nearing its conclusion in November, Bates called for a deadline for compensation claims to be established by the end of March next year. He emphasized the urgent need to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles hindering financial redress for victims. Bates also expressed his honor in receiving the knighthood, dedicating it to those affected by the scandal.