Reparations
Jamaica's petition and the regional case for reparatory justice.
Jamaica's position
Jamaica is pursuing reparatory justice for the transatlantic trade in Africans and chattel slavery, advised by the National Council on Reparations.
The petition to the King
On 7 September 2026 the Government filed a petition in London asking King Charles III, as Jamaica's Head of State, to refer three legal questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Minister told Parliament on 22 September 2026 that the King had referred the petition and that the Government was awaiting directions from the Judicial Committee.
The three questions
- Whether the seizure, transport and enslavement of Africans as chattel was ever lawful under English law.
- Whether it breached international law.
- Whether the United Kingdom has a legal obligation to provide a reparatory remedy to the people of Jamaica.
The petition contains no monetary claim.
The regional effort
The CARICOM Reparations Commission was established in 2013, and its Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice was endorsed by CARICOM Heads of Government in 2014. They expressed support for Jamaica's petition at their meeting in Montego Bay in July 2025.
Official sources
- Jamaica files reparations petitionMinistry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, mcges.gov.jm
- The Minister's statementMinistry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, mcges.gov.jm
- King refers the petitionJamaica Information Service, jis.gov.jm
- CARICOM on reparationsHistory of the Commission and the Ten Point Plan, caricom.org
- CARICOM Reparations Commissioncaricomreparations.org