THE use of computer evidence in court is to be reviewed following the Post Office Horizon scandal, the Ministry of Justice said today.

The ministry said that the criminal justice system presumes that computers work correctly and software-generated evidence is accurate unless there is evidence to the contrary, but this was proved flawed by the wrongful convictions of hundreds of subpostmasters.

To prevent future miscarriages of justice, the ministry is asking for the views of experts “across the justice system and beyond” on how to treat computer evidence.

The consultation exercise will last for 12 weeks and is part of the government’s attempt to restore public confidence in policing and the criminal justice system, it said.

Justice Minister Sarah Sackman said: “We must learn the lessons of the Post Office scandal.

“A blanket ‘no questions asked’ acceptance of the accuracy of digital evidence can have a devastating impact on people’s lives.

“We need to carefully consider how we can both use and interrogate digital evidence in court.”

Computer evidence is central to many prosecutions, including for fraud, rape and serious sexual offences.

Additional measures to prove that computer devices work correctly could affect how fast cases are completed.

“Therefore, any reform must be well thought out and future-proofed,” the ministry said.

More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after the faulty Horizon accounting software made it appear that money was missing from their accounts.

Law Society of England and Wales chief executive Ian Jeffery said it was “important that the government considers the relaxation of the rule of evidence … and if it should be reformed.”