The British
government
has reiterated that it will not pay reparations for slavery as Jamaica pursues a landmark legal route seeking answers over Britain’s role in the enslavement of Africans.
A Jamaican delegation led by Culture Minister Olivia Grange filed a petition in London on Monday, September 7, addressed to King Charles III. The petition asks the King, in his capacity as Jamaica’s head of state, to refer three legal questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
The questions centre on whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was lawful under English law, whether it violated international law, and whether Britain has a legal obligation to provide a remedy for the consequences of slavery.
The UK government has maintained its opposition to financial reparations, while acknowledging the abhorrent nature of the transatlantic slave trade. King Charles has previously expressed sorrow over slavery and support for efforts to address historic wrongs, but has not endorsed reparations.
Grange has stressed that the petition itself
does not make a monetary claim
, despite wider estimates and discussions about the value of potential reparations. Instead, Jamaica wants the Privy Council to provide legal guidance before determining its next steps.
The initiative marks the first time a Commonwealth country has pursued this particular legal route in its campaign for reparatory justice.
Jamaica’s effort has received the backing of CARICOM governments and forms part of a broader Caribbean campaign seeking reparations and other forms of redress for slavery and colonialism.
Source: Antigua News Room UK Rejects Reparations as Jamaica Takes Slavery Case to King Charles.