Slavery Abolition Act 1833

Slavery Abolition Act 1833^[1]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the British Colonies; for promoting the Industry of the manumitted Slaves; and for compensating the Persons hitherto entitled to the Services of such Slaves.
Citation	3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 73
Dates
Royal assent	28 August 1833
Commencement	1 August 1834 1 December 1834 (Cape of Good Hope) 1 February 1835 (Mauritius)
Repealed	19 November 1998
Other legislation
Amended by	Court of Chancery (Funds) Act 1872 Statute Law Revision Act 1874
Repealed by	Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1998
Relates to	Slave Trade Act 1807 Slave Trade Act 1824 Slave Trade Act 1843 Slave Trade Act 1873
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 (3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which provided for the gradual abolition of slavery in most parts of the British Empire. Passed by Earl Grey's reforming administration, it expanded the jurisdiction of the Slave Trade Act 1807 and made the purchase or ownership of slaves illegal within the British Empire, with the exception of "the Territories in the Possession of the East India Company", Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and Saint Helena. The Act came into force on 1 August 1834, and was repealed in 1998 as a part of wider rationalisation of English statute law; however, later anti-slavery legislation remains in force.