Former Post Office criminal-law head Jarnail Singh was questioned at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry about an October 2010 email describing branch discrepancies. Singh said he did not remember seeing the email or its attachments. The exchange raised questions about what information was available before sub-postmaster Seema Misra’s trial, but the reporting does not establish that Singh knowingly withheld evidence.
Who is Jarnail Singh?
Singh was a senior lawyer in the Post Office criminal law team and later its head. He was questioned at the independent statutory Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry about the handling of information during prosecutions based on Horizon data.
The Inquiry was established to provide a clear account of Horizon’s implementation and failings. Its work examines the conduct of a broad range of people and institutions; questioning a witness is not, by itself, a finding of wrongdoing.
What was the email about?
According to The Guardian’s 3 May 2024 report, Singh was asked about an email forwarded to him on 8 October 2010. The message was written by Post Office executive Alan Simpson and described incidents in which discrepancies posted to a local suspense account appeared to disappear at branch level.
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The timing was significant: Seema Misra’s criminal trial began the following week. The Guardian reported that the email was not disclosed to Misra’s defence before trial. That account identifies a serious disclosure question; it does not, on its own, establish what Singh personally knew or why the email was not disclosed.
What did Singh say he remembered?
Inquiry counsel Jason Beer KC challenged Singh about the email, saying it should have rung alarm bells. The Guardian reported Singh’s response as: “I don’t remember seeing the email … [or] the attachments to it at all … From memory I don’t recall this document.” The quotation reflects a reported lack of recollection, not an admission that he saw and disregarded the material.
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The distinction matters. The report records counsel’s challenge and Singh’s answer; it does not establish a final finding about his state of knowledge or legal liability. Those conclusions must be left to the Inquiry and any applicable legal process.
Who bears responsibility for the Horizon scandal?
In its closing statement to the Inquiry on 17 December 2024, the Department for Business and Trade said: “The Post Office itself bears principal responsibility for this scandal but it did not act alone.” The Department described a wider cast of internal and external actors, including Post Office board members, executives and staff, Fujitsu employees, government bodies and lawyers. It also accepted that the Government bears ultimate responsibility for oversight.
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These are the Department’s submissions, not a final determination by the Inquiry. They place the Post Office at the centre of responsibility while acknowledging that scrutiny extends beyond the organisation. They do not determine Singh’s individual responsibility for the email or its handling. The statement is available in the Department for Business and Trade’s closing submissions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What has the Inquiry concluded so far?
The Inquiry’s official website describes it as an independent statutory inquiry. It says Volume 1 of the final report covers the human impact of the scandal and redress; the remaining volumes are being prepared, and the Inquiry is in the Maxwellisation process, in which people or organisations may have an opportunity to respond to material that could be critical of them.
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Accordingly, the published status described by the Inquiry does not amount to a completed set of final findings on every issue raised by Singh’s evidence. The email, its timing and the competing accounts of responsibility should be understood separately from any conclusions still to come.
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