Jamaica’s land debate has resurfaced, centred on possession, not just ownership.
A title and tax payments do not guarantee control of land.
The law prioritises who is in actual possession, not just on paper.
Under adverse possession, long occupation can shift ownership.
A 2025 titling programme has brought the issue into focus.
Idle or unmanaged land is especially at risk.
For many owners, particularly in the diaspora, the risk is already real.
Jamaica’s long-standing tension between land ownership and occupation has returned to the forefront of public discussion, driven in part by renewed attention to the Government’s Systematic Land Registration Programme announced in late 2025. While the initiative itself is not new, its implications are now being felt more widely, prompting fresh scrutiny of how land is …
