The 2025 IoD Guernsey Convention brought together the local business leaders, governance experts, and the local community for a powerful discussion on corporate governance and ethics, with lessons drawn from one of the UK’s most devastating corporate scandals.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Richard Moorhead, a leading authority on law and professional ethics, who advises the UK Government on the Horizon IT scandal as a member of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board and co-leads national research into the ethical failures behind it. The case saw more than 1,000 sub-postmasters wrongfully prosecuted due to faults in the Post Office’s Horizon system. Professor Moorhead detailed the scale of governance failure and the corrosive impact of weak accountability, secrecy, and cultural dysfunction at the highest levels.
He told Convention attendees:
“The Post Office scandal is a tragedy, but also a lesson in what happens when government fails, when directors forget their duties, when lawyers forget their ethics and when organisations forget their humanity.”
Professor Moorhead was joined by Lee Castleton, a former sub-postmaster whose personal story was featured in ITV’s award-winning drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office. Mr Castleton shared the devastating personal and financial consequences of the scandal, including bankruptcy and lasting harm to his family.
Both speakers emphasised the importance of boardroom accountability, transparency, and ethical culture in preventing similar governance failures. Themes included the need for directors to actively scrutinise advice, ensure open communication with legal teams, and support whistleblowers.
Glen Tonks, Chair of IoD Guernsey, said:
“Corporate governance is not just about compliance – it is about culture, values, and the courage to do the right thing. The lessons from the Horizon scandal must shape the way all boards, from large corporations to local organisations, think about leadership and accountability.”