• Swindon & Wiltshire Tech
• Thursday October 10 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Post Office Scandal journalist and and trailblazer technologist honoured with prestigious IT awards

Karl Flinders, the journalist at Computer Weekly renowned for exposing the Post Office scandal, and Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, computer scientist and founder of Stemettes, have been named the recipients of the BCS Society Medal, awarded by Swindon-based BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

The BCS Society Medal is awarded annually to individuals who make outstanding contributions to using technology for societal good. Previous recipients include Professor Penny Endersby, CEO of the Met Office, and Elizabeth Denham CBE, the former Information Commissioner.

Flinders’ investigation, which began in 2010, challenged the Post Office’s wrongful prosecution of sub-postmasters due to faults in the Horizon computer system.

Over almost two decades, innocent people faced severe consequences as the Post Office concealed software flaws, resulting in one of the largest miscarriages of justice in British history.

BCS CEO Rashik Parmar said: “Karl’s work with Computer Weekly has been pivotal in uncovering one of the UK’s greatest injustices. His determination to expose the truth has directly helped innocent people regain their freedom and dignity.

“The Post Office scandal reminds us that technologists in high-stakes roles, especially in AI, must be held to independent ethical standards. A public register, similar to that of doctors, will help ensure accountability and prevent future technological misuses.”

Karl said: “I am pleased to receive this award, but the real heroes in this are all those who were wrongly treated by the Post Office over the last twenty years. I’m glad I was able to play a small part in getting the world to hear their voices.

“I’m hugely grateful to my colleagues, my industry sources, and the many sub postmasters that helped us achieve what we did.”

Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, also recognised with the BCS Society Medal, has dedicated her career to promoting diversity in STEM.

As founder and CEO of Stemettes, she has worked with over 65,000 young people across Europe, advocating for gender balance in tech. Her book She’s in CTRL empowers women to engage in the tech world.

Anne-Marie made history as the youngest girl to pass A-level computer science at age 11, and was named the UK’s most influential woman in tech by Computer Weekly in 2020.

Anne-Marie said: “Receiving this award at this time is bittersweet. It’s an even greater shame than when I started Stemettes – in recent times we’ve seen support for progress recede and many important organisations in this space close. I hope that the recognition will help the industry remember the work that remains to be done by all of us. It’s a crucial time an issue of the utmost importance.”

Parmar added: “Both of this year’s Society Medal recipients are innovators who have changed society for the better and helped increase our understanding of how the world works through information technology.

“We are incredibly proud to be able to honour them at a time when computing is being woven into every aspect of society and their work is more important than ever.”

The recipients will receive their BCS Society Medals at a ceremony later this year.