Jamaica to Petition King Charles Over Slavery Reparations

The Jamaican government will file a petition to King Charles III seeking legal guidance on slavery reparations. Culture Minister Olivia Grange is leading a delegation to the United Kingdom to request that the King, who serves as Jamaica's head of state, refer three specific questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. This court serves as Jamaica's highest court of appeal and is based in London.

The petition asks whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal under English law, whether it violated international law, and whether the United Kingdom now has a legal duty to provide redress. According to the Jamaican delegation, this is the first time a British Commonwealth state has used this legal route for the cause of reparatory justice. Under the Judicial Committee Act of 1833, the monarch has the authority to refer legal matters for an advisory opinion, though a Buckingham Palace spokesperson noted the King has no personal discretion in deciding whether to make a referral.

Minister Grange stated that the responses to these questions will determine the next steps. She also noted that the delegation intends to meet with British Museum officials to discuss the repatriation of cultural artefacts taken during the colonial era.

Historical context provided by the reports notes that the British government paid compensation to slave owners following the abolition of slavery in 1833. The loans used to fund those payments were not fully paid off until 2015. While the Jamaican government has estimated that the country is owed approximately $10 billion, the United Kingdom has repeatedly refused to pay for historical slavery. In 2015, then Prime Minister David Cameron ruled out making reparations while visiting Jamaica.