Jamaica petitions King Charles over legal questions on slavery reparations – Cyprus Inform
Jamaica has asked King Charles to seek legal advice on whether Britain is obliged to provide reparations for transatlantic slavery.
London, United Kingdom. The Jamaican government has formally asked King Charles to refer questions on slavery and reparations to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, seeking clarification on Britain’s legal obligations.
Culture Minister Olivia Grange, leading a Jamaican delegation in London, said she was encouraged by Buckingham Palace’s engagement as the petition was filed.
Petition to the Privy Council
Jamaica asked Charles to refer three questions concerning transatlantic slavery to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC), the final court of appeal for UK overseas territories and some Commonwealth nations.
The petition asks the JCPC to consider whether the transportation of enslaved Africans to Jamaica and their enslavement were ever lawful, and whether Britain is legally required to provide a reparatory remedy.
King’s role and palace response
Charles remains Jamaica’s head of state, although the country has taken steps towards removing him from the role. He expressed deep sorrow over slavery in an address to Commonwealth leaders in 2022.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said Charles “has on many occasions expressed his personal and wholehearted commitment to promoting greater understanding around the issue of slavery and finding ways to address historic wrongs for the benefit of communities today”.
“We’re not pre-empting the process, but we are encouraged,” Grange told Reuters shortly before the petition was formally filed.
Britain’s position
Britain, like other former colonial powers, has rejected demands for reparations. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham said “the UK does not and will not pay reparations”, while acknowledging that the transatlantic slave trade was “abhorrent”.
At least 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped, forcibly transported by European ships and sold into slavery between the 15th and 19th centuries. Advocates have called for reparations to address slavery’s continuing legacy, including economic underdevelopment and social inequality.