1817: An Anglo-Spanish anti-slave-trade treaty was signed in which Spain committed to halting its slave trade by 1820, following a generous British financial…

1817: An Anglo-Spanish anti-slave-trade treaty was signed in which Spain committed to halting its slave trade by 1820, following a generous British financial compensation. As part of this and similar agreements, Portugal and Spain joined with Britain to establish Courts of Mixed Commission to adjudicate the cases of captured slave ships. These joint courts were designed to provide a shared legal framework for detaining vessels and liberating captives in international waters. This institutional development represented a significant step toward the creation of an international legal regime to suppress human trafficking.