William Anglin Scarlett

Sir William Anglin Scarlett (1777[1]-1831) was Chief Justice of Jamaica known for his love of justice.

William Anglin Scarlett
Born1777
Died1831
NationalityBritish
Occupationjudge
Known forChief Justice of Jamaica

Life

Scarlett was the son of Robert Scarlett who owned property in Jamaica. His elder brother, James, was to become Attorney General. He was educated in Edinburgh and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1802.[2] In 1809, Scarlett married Mary Williams of Luana estate in St. Elizabeth.[1]

Scarlett became Chief Justice of Jamaica in 1821.[3] In 1823, Scarlett successfully descended a man against a charge of libel brought by the Duke of Manchester, the Governor of Jamaica. Scarlett was successful, but even as a Chief Justice, was abused as he left.[1]

He was involved again in another case where he opposed the governor. Scarlett released prisoners but they were rearrested and exiled from Jamaica. Scarlett's decision was in time upheld by the British Parliament.

The case began when Louis Celeste Lecesne and John Escoffery were arrested on 7 October 1823 under the Alien Act by a warrant of the Duke of Manchester, the Governor of Jamaica. They were considered by the Attorney General, William Burge to be of a dangerous character and to be aliens as they were claimed to be Haitians. Luckily they had time to raise a writ of Habeas Corpus in the Supreme Court of Jamaica[4]

Scarlett released them, but it took Parliament to uphold his decision. Scarlett was knighted in 1829.

Scarlett died in 1831. His obituary noted that he had been ill and that even his detractors noted his "love of justice".[3] His wife died the following year.[3] He left two sons, Robert William and James Williams Scarlett.

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References
  1. jamaicanfamilysearch.com, accessed September 2009
  2. "Scarlett, William Anglin (SCRT798WA)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  3. Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. 102, Part 1, accessed September 2009
  4. The Anti-slavery Reporter, Zachary Macaulay, Society for the Mitigation and Gradual Abolition of Slavery, pp. 27-31,accessed 12 October 2008
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