POST OFFICE campaigner Sir Alan Bates has received an honorary doctorate from Coventry University in recognition of his quest for justice.
Sir Alan, received a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours list and has been helping hundreds of people fight to clear their names after being wrongfully convicted in the post Office scandal.
In 2017 more than 500 subpostmasters brought a group action in the High Court, exposing what was wrong with the Post Office’s Horizon system – leading to the criminal convictions being overturned.
Sir Alan founded the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) in 2009 at Fenny Compton Village Hall, 20 miles south of Coventry.
Sir Alan, 69, is set to join students for a ceremont at Coventry cathedral to receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws.
He said: “I hadn’t expected this and it was very much a surprise. My other half asked me ‘are you going to accept it?’ and I said ‘I think I will’ as I have turned down an awful lot of things.
“However, this isn’t about me – this is about the group, what has happened and what still needs to happen now.”
Professor John Latham CBE, vice-chancellor of Coventry University, said: “Sir Alan has spent the last 20 years fighting one of the biggest injustices seen in this country for some time.
“He has done so tirelessly, selflessly and with no desire to take credit for himself – he has simply wanted to do the right thing for hundreds of people who had been wronged.
“He epitomises the very essence of some of the qualities we try to instill in our students; dedication, determination and passion.
“Our students should look at Sir Alan and feel inspired to achieve with the same levels of resilience, leadership and collaboration with others.
“We could not be prouder to bestow an Honorary Doctorate of Laws upon Sir Alan Bates.”
