The legal problems that were most likely to arise in England were if a slave were to escape in transit, or if a slave-owner from the colonies brought over a slave and expected to continue exercising his power to prevent the slave from leaving his service. Increasing numbers of slaves were brought into England in the 18th century, and this may help to explain the growing awareness of the problems presented by the existence of slavery. Quite apart from the moral considerations, there was an obvious conflict between defining property in slaves and an alternative English tradition of freedom protected by habeas corpus.
The text highlights the growing concern about slavery's impact on English law, particularly in light of increasing slave arrivals in the 18th century. The potential for escape and attempts to control slaves after arrival posed significant legal challenges that conflicted with English traditions regarding property rights and freedom.