More than 74,000 prosecutions for alleged fare dodging brought by train companies in England and Wales are to be quashed after a court ruling. The chief magistrate, Paul Goldspring, declared the cases a 'nullity', meaning they are treated as if they never existed.
Four companies, including Northern Trains and Greater Anglia, unlawfully used the single justice procedure (SJP) to fast-track fare evasion cases behind closed doors. The SJP was designed for minor offences but not for fare evasion under the Regulation of Railways Act 1889, which the companies used.
The Department for Transport alerted the Ministry of Justice to the issue. At a hearing in June, Goldspring said the prosecutions were 'probably unlawful'. In an 18-page ruling on Thursday, he confirmed the six test cases were void and that the same applied to over 74,000 other cases.
Goldspring said a list of affected individuals would be compiled by the end of September, with bulk hearings by the end of October. Refunds are expected to begin by the end of November. Northern Trains apologised for the errors, stating they would work with the court to implement the findings.
