Jamaica Brings Slavery Reparations Petition to the King

Jamaica is taking its slavery reparations push straight to King Charles. Culture Minister Olivia Grange, part of a Jamaican delegation visiting the UK, says the government will present a petition Monday asking the monarch, who is Jamaica's head of state, to send three slavery-related questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the highest court for former colonies with ties to the British Crown. The court would be asked whether slavery in Jamaica was legal under English law, whether it violated international law, and whether Britain now has a legal duty to provide redress, reports the BBC.

The petition does not request a specific payout but could shape future claims, Grange says. "Once we get those answers, then our attorneys, our lawyers, will determine what the next move is," she says, per the AP. Buckingham Palace says it's working to ensure the petition is "properly lodged," adding Charles is committed to fostering "greater understanding" of slavery and ways to address historic wrongs. He has not endorsed reparations but in 2024 proposed "finding creative ways to right inequalities that endure." Grange will also meet with British Museum officials about returning Jamaican artifacts removed during colonial rule.