icans ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁slaves , ▁and ▁that ▁bapt ism ▁would ▁man um it ▁a ▁slave ▁( and ▁in ▁fact ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁slaves ▁were ▁bapt ised ▁and ▁claimed ▁on ▁this ▁basis ▁to ▁be ▁free ), ▁and ▁at ▁worst , ▁there ▁might ▁be ▁no ▁leg ally ▁en force able ▁property ▁rights ▁in ▁a ▁slave . ▁ ▁View s ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁expressed ▁that , ▁whatever ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁slaves ▁in ▁the ▁colon ies , ▁a ▁slave ▁in ▁England ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁rest rained ▁against ▁his ▁will . ▁ ▁The ▁opinion ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Sir ▁Philip ▁Y or ke ▁( then ▁the ▁Att orney ▁General ) ▁and ▁Charles ▁Tal bot ▁( then ▁the ▁Sol ic itor ▁General ), ▁each ▁of ▁whom ▁would ▁later ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Lord ▁Chan cell or ▁as ▁Lord ▁Hard w ic ke ▁and ▁Lord ▁Tal bot ▁respectively . ▁ ▁They ▁wrote ▁the ▁opinion ▁in ▁their ▁capacity ▁as ▁law ▁officers ▁of ▁the ▁Crown , ▁and ▁so ▁was ▁only ▁an ▁opinion ▁and ▁not ▁a ▁judgment ▁of ▁a ▁court . ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁opinion ▁was ▁taken ▁by ▁slave own ers ▁as ▁establish ing ▁the ▁legit im acy ▁of ▁sla very ▁in ▁England , ▁despite ▁its ▁lack ▁of ▁support ▁from ▁preced ent . ▁ ▁Op in ion ▁Y or ke ▁and ▁Tal bot ▁op ined ▁that ▁under ▁English ▁law : ▁a ▁slave ' s ▁status ▁did ▁not ▁change ▁when ▁he ▁came ▁to ▁England , ▁ ▁a ▁slave ▁could ▁be ▁comp elled ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁colon ies ▁from ▁England , ▁and ▁that