Lee Castleton, Jo Hamilton, Christopher Head and Seema Misra were named Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBEs) in the 2025 New Year Honours, announced on 31 December 2024. The official citation for each was “For services to Justice,” recognising their campaigning for people affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Who received OBEs?
The Department for Business and Trade’s official list named four Post Office campaigners as OBEs:
- Lee Castleton — “Campaigner for Subpostmasters. For services to Justice.”
- Josephine (Jo) Hamilton — “Campaigner for Subpostmasters. For services to Justice.”
- Christopher Head — “Campaigner for Subpostmasters. For services to Justice.”
- Seema Misra — “Campaigner for Subpostmasters. For services to Justice.”
The announcement described the recognition as part of a group of Horizon sub-postmasters’ campaign for justice. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “They deserve special recognition for their tireless campaign for postmasters who have waited far too long to get justice – and we remain committed to seeing justice done.” Department for Business and Trade announcement, 31 December 2024.
Why were they recognised?
The honours recognised their public campaigning for sub-postmasters caught up in the scandal, not a new finding about each recipient’s individual case. The award wording is “For services to Justice.” In contemporaneous reporting, Castleton said: “Sometimes you have to step forward and shout as loud as you can because some of our group aren’t able to do that.” Misra said: “I used to say ‘God, why me?’ because I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong.” Both remarks were reported by The Guardian on 30 December 2024.
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How the honours fit into the wider scandal
The recognition came amid continuing questions about the consequences of the Horizon scandal. ITV News reported on 31 December 2024 that a public inquiry found faulty Horizon software caused false accusations against sub-postmasters. Its report also cited historical compensation context: £500 million had been paid to 3,300 victims. Those figures reflect ITV’s 2024 reporting and should not be read as current totals. ITV News, 31 December 2024.
In its December 2024 coverage, The Guardian reported that Horizon showed £25,000 missing from Castleton’s branch in 2004; that Misra was accused of stealing £74,000 from her West Byfleet branch; and that Head was falsely accused of stealing more than £80,000 from his branch. The reported accusation against Misra is an allegation, not proof of wrongdoing. The Guardian’s account also distinguished these four OBE recipients from Alan Bates, who had been knighted earlier in 2024.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the list is called the 2025 New Year Honours
The honourees were announced on 31 December 2024, but the list is the 2025 New Year Honours. It is separate from the New Year Honours List 2024, which the Cabinet Office published on 29 December 2023. The Cabinet Office explains that honours recognise achievements in public life and commitment to serving and helping the UK. Cabinet Office: New Year Honours List 2024.
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