When land titles were handed to residents in St Elizabeth earlier this month, the moment carried more than ceremonial weight. For hundreds of families, it marked the end of years — sometimes decades — of legal uncertainty. For Jamaica as a whole, it signalled a renewed attempt to resolve one of the country’s most enduring structural problems: land ownership without formal recognition.
The government’s decision to expand the Systematic Land Registration Programme (SLRP) across the island has been widely welcomed. Already, more than 270 communities have been declared under the systematic adjudication process, with thousands of families expected to benefit. The programme allows individuals who have occupied land openly and uncontested for 12 years or more to obtain legal title, with survey and legal costs covered upfront.
On paper, the policy is difficult to fault. Secure land tenure is a prerequisite for economic participation. Without a registered title, Jamaicans are routinely locked ou…
