Jamaica launches legal push for slavery reparations from Britain
Jamaica’s government will hand a petition to King Charles on Monday seeking answers over the legality of the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica and Britain’s responsibility for addressing its historic impact.
Culture Minister Olivia Grange, who will lead the Jamaican delegation to the United Kingdom (UK), said the petition would ask the King to refer three questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, Jamaica’s highest court.
The questions are whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal under English law, whether it violated international law, and whether Britain now has a legal duty to provide redress.
Grange said the legal process could help lead to a “long outstanding settlement” for the suffering endured by African people and their descendants over hundreds of years.
However, the petition is not itself a demand for financial payment. Grange said Jamaica would decide its next steps after receiving answers to the three legal questions.
The issue of reparations relates to Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans in its colonies. When slavery was abolished across most of the British Empire in 1833, the British government paid £20m in compensation to slave owners.
The loans used to fund those payments were not fully repaid until 2015. Grange questioned why Britain had compensated slave owners for the loss of what was considered their property, while the descendants of enslaved people had not received similar redress.
ALSO READ: Smoking could reduce chances of having baby, WHO warns
King Charles has previously spoken about the need to address the lasting effects of slavery. In a 2024 speech to Commonwealth leaders, he called for “creative ways” to address inequalities that continue today.
Buckingham Palace said it had been working with Jamaica’s Governor General to ensure the petition was correctly lodged. A Palace spokesperson said the King remained committed to promoting greater understanding of slavery and addressing historic wrongs.
During her visit to Britain, Grange will also meet British Museum officials to discuss the return of artefacts taken from Jamaica during the colonial period.
She said the artefacts were important to Jamaica’s history and that the government was working to bring them back to the country.
Britain has previously rejected calls for slavery reparations. In 2015, then-Prime Minister David Cameron ruled out reparations during a visit to Jamaica, although he described slavery as “abhorrent in all its forms.”
(BBC News)