Buckingham Palace has reportedly been informed of Jamaica’s plans to petition King Charles over Britain’s historical role in the transatlantic slave trade and possible reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans.
Jamaica’s Culture Minister, Olivia Grange, said the government intends to ask the British monarch, who remains Jamaica’s head of state, to refer legal questions surrounding the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC).
The JCPC serves as Jamaica’s highest court. Although King Charles does not have the authority to determine the matter himself, he could refer the questions to the court for consideration.
Among the issues Jamaica wants the court to examine are whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was lawful under English law, whether it breached international law and whether Britain has a present legal obligation to provide compensation or another form of redress.
Grange said the government would decide its next course of action after receiving answers to the questions.
“Once we get the answers, or once we get a response to those questions, then the next steps will be determined,” she said.
The minister also pointed to Britain’s continued payments to former slave owners following the abolition of slavery, noting that compensation to slave owners continued until 2015.
She argued that descendants of enslaved people should also be able to seek a remedy for the injustices suffered by their ancestors.
“Up to 2015, Britain was paying the slave masters, because we were being considered property,” Grange said, questioning why descendants of enslaved people should not pursue redress today.
The Jamaican government’s initial move is reportedly not an immediate demand for financial payment. Buckingham Palace has been working with Jamaica’s governor general to ensure that the proposed petition is formally presented to King Charles.
A spokesperson for the palace referred to the monarch’s previous statements on slavery and Britain’s historical wrongs.
“His Majesty 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,” the spokesperson said.