A Jamaican delegation is set to file a petition to King Charles III during its visit to the United Kingdom, seeking legal guidance on the issue of slavery reparations. This marks the first instance of a British Commonwealth state utilizing this legal approach for reparatory justice, according to the delegation. The visit, which begins on Monday, is led by Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, who aims to advance the country's efforts for reparations for African ancestors who endured centuries of enslavement.
The petition will request that the king, as Jamaica’s head of state, address three specific questions regarding the transatlantic slave trade to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the highest court of appeal for Jamaica located in London. Under the Judicial Committee Act of 1833, the UK monarch has the power to refer legal matters to the court for an advisory opinion.
The questions posed in the petition include: whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal under English common law, whether it violated international law, and whether the UK has a legal obligation to provide a remedy for the harms caused by slavery. Grange stated that she would not speculate on whether Jamaica is requesting reparations from the UK, emphasizing the need for answers to the questions first.
A spokesperson from Buckingham Palace confirmed that the Jamaican government is seeking a petition to be heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and acknowledged the king's constitutional role in the petition, while clarifying that he does not decide the substance of the claim.
Historically, British merchants forcibly transported between 600,000 and 1 million Africans to Jamaica from the 17th century until the early 19th century. Following the abolition of slavery in 1833, the UK compensated slave owners with $27 million, which represented 40 percent of the Treasury’s annual income at the time. To finance this compensation, the government incurred substantial loans, which were fully repaid by 2015. The Jamaican government estimates that it is owed approximately $10 billion in reparations, a claim that the UK has consistently rejected.