Jamaica Seeks Compensation from Britain for Slavery

Jamaica wants to know what King Charles III, or his advisers, think about Britain’s responsibility for the fate of the island’s ancestors. Culture Minister Olivia Grange delivered a petition to the king in London, calling for greater attention to reparations for slavery.

The petition was submitted while Grange was in London with a delegation. Jamaica remains formally under the Windsor crown, although it has been an independent state since 1962. The country was first a Spanish colony, then came under English control in 1655 and became part of the expanding British imperial sugar economy.

The Jamaican culture ministry said the petition aims to “speed up the resolution of the question of reparations for African ancestors who suffered in slavery for centuries.” Three-quarters of Jamaica’s population are descended from African enslaved people, while another 15% have at least some African ancestry.

The petition asks the Judicial Committee of the king’s advisory council, the highest appellate court for Jamaica and certain other British territories and Commonwealth members, to address three questions: whether the enslavement of Africans was lawful under British law, whether it complied with international law, and whether Britain now has a legal obligation to remedy the wrong.

Jamaica is not directly asking for a payment through the petition. However, a decision supporting a legal obligation could provide a basis for demanding compensation. Britain ended the slave trade in 1807 and abolished slavery in 1834. The article notes that Britain compensated former slave owners, while then-Prime Minister David Cameron rejected slavery reparations during a 2015 visit to Jamaica.

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speed up the resolution of the question of reparations for African ancestors who suffered in slavery for centuries