In a shock move, the Post Office has questioned the impartiality of the judge overseeing the High Court trial about its controversial Horizon IT system and called for him to be removed from the case. The trial has been suspended until 3 April, to allow the Post Office to make its application, and for the claimants in the case to oppose the claim. If the application is granted, the trial would have to start again with a different judge. If the judge rejects the application, the Post Office can appeal and the trial will continue during the appeal. The suspension came as expert witnesses for both parties were due to take the stand for cross-examination. The claim by the Post Office is based on a witness statement submitted by a solicitor from the law firm Womble Bond Dickinson, who was involved in a working group set up to oversee a mediation scheme between the Post Office and subpostmasters who claim that problems with Horizon caused financial shortfalls for which they were blamed.
