KINGSTON, Jamaica – June 26, 2025 — Jamaica is set to make a historic move in its long-standing push for reparations by formally petitioning His Majesty King Charles III to refer critical legal questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council regarding Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.
The announcement was made by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, during her contribution to the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, June 24.
“We are taking our demand for reparations from the United Kingdom for the enslavement of our African ancestors into another phase,” Minister Grange told Parliament. “We will be submitting a petition to His Majesty King Charles III to refer to the Privy Council a set of questions that we want answered within his current position as Head of State of Jamaica.”
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, made the announcement during her contribution to the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 24).
The petition, rooted in Section Four of the Judicial Committee Act of 1833, invokes the King’s discretionary authority to place constitutional matters of significance before the Privy Council for legal consideration.
Three Fundamental Legal Questions
The Jamaican government’s petition seeks legal advice on three pivotal questions:
Legality of Enslavement under English Law: Whether the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica and their enslavement up until 1833 were unlawful, on the grounds that such acts were contrary to the fundamental principles of common law, and that any legislation permitting such enslavement was void under English law.
Crimes Against Humanity: Whether the transatlantic slave trade and enslavement in Jamaica until 1838 constituted crimes against humanity under international law, for which the United Kingdom bears responsibility.
Obligation to Provide Remedy: Whether the UK has a legal obligation to provide reparative justice to the people of Jamaica — not only for slavery, but also for its enduring consequences under British colonial rule.
Legal and Moral Precedents
Minister Grange likened the legal strategy to landmark historical cases brought by formerly enslaved West Africans. She highlighted the case of Olaudah Equiano, who joined the British abolitionist movement and was part of the group known as the Sons of Africa. Equiano’s efforts contributed to the famous 1772 Somerset ruling, in which Lord Mansfield declared that slavery had no basis in English law.
She also cited Lourenzo Mendonza, who appealed to the Vatican in 1684 and secured a declaration that slavery was unlawful.
“These efforts form the historical backdrop to our modern legal approach,” Grange said. “By placing these three questions before the Privy Council, we are taking a principled step on behalf of the Jamaican people — grounded in law, in morality, and in historical justice.”
A Parallel Track to Political Negotiation
Grange clarified that the legal petition does not replace or conflict with political approaches to reparations through diplomatic negotiation. Instead, it adds a new legal dimension to Jamaica’s pursuit of justice and global recognition of the harm caused by slavery.
The matter is currently with the Attorney General of Jamaica, who will formally file the petition on behalf of the government and people of Jamaica.
Constitutional Context
The petition comes at a significant moment in Jamaica’s constitutional journey. In December 2024, the government tabled legislation to remove the British monarch as head of state, moving Jamaica toward full republican status.
If King Charles agrees to refer the matter to the Privy Council, it would mark an unprecedented legal examination of Britain’s historic role in slavery by the UK’s own top appellate body for Commonwealth nations.
King Charles and the prime minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, in 2022. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/AFP/Getty Images
Whether the Privy Council agrees to deliberate remains uncertain, but the submission is likely to reignite international debate around colonialism, accountability, and reparatory justice.
The empire was built through the labour of our enslaved ancestors. Financial restitution can merely serve as a starting point in addressing that profound injustice.
The Caribbean nation, which gained independence from Britain in 1962 but retains the British monarch as head of state, is invoking the Judicial Committee Act of 1833, which gives the reigning sovereign authority to refer matters to the council for legal consideration.
Culture Minister Olivia Grange made the announcement in Parliament on Tuesday, stating that Jamaica will request the Privy Council to consider whether the forced transport and enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade was lawful and whether it constituted a crime against humanity. The petition will also ask whether Britain has an obligation to provide reparatory justice for slavery and its ongoing social and economic impacts on Jamaican society.
Governor-General of Jamaica Patrick Allen arrives to attend King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, in London, May 6, 2023.Toby Melville/Reuters
“We will be submitting a petition to His Majesty King Charles III to refer to the Privy Council a set of questions that we want answered within his current position as head of state of Jamaica,” Grange said.
A Legacy of Exploitation
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans were shipped to Jamaica to work on British-owned sugar plantations. The profits enriched Britain’s economy while entrenching social and racial inequalities that persist to this day.
Jamaican officials, activists, and historians argue that reparations are not just about financial compensation, but acknowledgment and accountability for centuries of exploitation and suffering. They view the petition as part of a broader global push for historical justice.
People calling for slavery reparations protest outside the entrance of the British high commission during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Kingston, Jamaica, in March 2022. Photograph: Ricardo Makyn/AFP/Getty Images
While the Privy Council could weigh in with a formal legal judgment or a non-binding opinion, the outcome — if accepted — could carry significant moral and political weight. However, legal experts caution that the council may choose not to hear the matter if it deems the issue unsuitable for legal adjudication.
Nicola Diggle, a Privy Council appeals specialist at the UK law firm Blake Morgan, confirmed that the monarch can refer any issue for consideration and that lower courts in Jamaica could also initiate similar appeals. Still, she noted, the decision to issue a ruling remains discretionary.
A Delicate Diplomatic Dance
The call comes amid mounting public pressure across the Caribbean and Africa for European nations to address their colonial pasts. Still, resistance from European governments has been steadfast. Britain has refused to entertain formal reparations, although King Charles has expressed “deep sorrow” over slavery in past speeches — notably during the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda.
The Jamaican petition also coincides with the country’s wider move toward full republican status. In December 2024, the government introduced legislation to remove the British monarch as head of state, part of a broader constitutional reform agenda.
By addressing King Charles directly, Jamaica is making a strategic legal and symbolic appeal — one that could reignite global discourse on the unfinished business of empire and justice.
Whether the Privy Council accepts the referral or not, the move ensures the reparations debate remains firmly in the international spotlight.
King Charles has yet to formally apologized for slavery in Jamaica, but he has publicly expressed deep sorrow over the institution of slavery and its enduring impact.
In June 2022, as Prince of Wales, Charles spoke at the Commonwealth summit in Kigali, acknowledging the “depths of my personal sorrow at the suffering of so many” and urged the Commonwealth to confront its colonial history.
In October 2024, King Charles addressed a meeting in Samoa, again referring to slavery’s “painful” legacy and emphasizing the need to understand our collective history.
However, these statements express regret and sorrow—they are not formal apologies. British governments, including under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have consistently ruled out issuing apologies or paying reparations.
So while Charles has acknowledged the pain and sorrow tied to slavery, there has been no formal apology directed specifically at Jamaica.
