Kingston, Jamaica – The Supreme Court of Jamaica has ordered the government to pay $120 million in damages to George Williams, the man who spent 50 years behind bars, including 42 years without a case review.
The decision was handed down Thursday morning by Justice Sonya Wint-Blair.
Williams, now 76 years old, is to receive $42 million in vindicatory damages and nearly $79 million in compensatory damages.
Williams was arrested at age 20 and charged with the 1970 murder of a man. Although he was declared unfit to plead, he was held in custody for decades — with no trial, no conviction, and no formal resolution of the case.
He was eventually released five years ago, after public outcry and legal advocacy brought attention to his long-neglected case.
The payout marks one of the most significant settlements for unlawful imprisonment in Jamaica’s history.

