Brickbat: Coding Error

The British government may soon change a law that led to the wrongful convictions of hundreds of postmasters for financial crimes. Over more than 15 years, Britain's state-owned Post Office prosecuted and convicted more than 700 postmasters, with 230 serving time in prison, when internal software reported missing money. British law says evidence generated by a computer is automatically assumed to be correct, and it is the defendant's burden to prove it wrong. Postmasters complained all along that the software generated false information, but postal authorities dismissed the complaints. When the government did finally look into the issue, it found the system was prone to errors, reporting shortfalls in accounts when there actually were none.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

British law says evidence generated by a computer is automatically assumed to be correct...

The sun never sets on the Skynet Empire.

[mad.casual]

Between 1999 and 2015, 736 Post Office branch managers were prosecuted and convicted of financial misconduct based on information generated by the organisation’s computing software.

[Blows dust off of Luddite moral panic] The Y2K got 'em!

[Vernon Depner]

Here's your receipt for your husband, Mrs. Buttle.

[Rick James]

And here's my receipt... for your receipt...

[B G]

The wrong man was delivered to me as the right man, I accepted him in good faith.

It's not my fault that Buttle's heart condition wasn't in Tuttle's file.

[n00bdragon]

This is like a Dexter's Laboratory cartoon come to life.

[TJJ2000]

...but, but, but it was "state-owned". /s

Perfect example of the consequences in turning your 'halls of justice' into a supplier.
You no longer have any 'halls of justice' to turn too.

If Walmart said you stole merchandise and Walmart is the 'halls of justice' you've got no 'halls of justice' left. You've got Walmart who is always right no matter how wrong they really are and there is nobody for you to turn to for justice anymore.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

Or to put it another way: the government should not be able to define its own limits. The Founders and Framers liked to think they had set the three branches of government to watch over each other, and that works as long as the field of interest is narrow. But just as Marines and sailors are mortal enemies, as soon as the Army comes into the picture, they unite against them, and if you add the Air Force to the mix, those three gang up on the fly boys.

Separate branches unite as soon as civilians enter the picture. Judges are supposed to be neutral and objective, but put a cop on the stand, and the judge covers his ass like the Holy Grail, because they are both part of the same judicial system.

[MollyGodiva]

Wow, that is quite a convenient time saver, to just declare an entire category of evidence to be automatically deemed reliable. Who cares about normal rules of evidence? /sarc

The US does something similar with forensic evidence.

[Winston in Wonderland]

"British Law Says Evidence Generated by a Computer is Automatically Assumed to be Correct..."

What a stupid freakin' law.

AI is going to have a field day in Britain!