Jamaica will be submitting a petition to its head-of-state, King Charles III, to refer to the Privy Council a set of questions surrounding the issue of reparation for slavery.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange made the announcement Tuesday in the House of Representatives during her contribution to the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate.

“We are taking our demand for reparation from the United Kingdom for the enslavement of our African ancestors into another phase,” Grange stated.

She explained that the petition requests that King Charles seeks the advice of the Privy Council, Jamaica’s final appellate court, on three questions set out in the petition. These are:

(a) Whether the forced transport of African people from their homelands to Jamaica and their subsequent enslavement in Jamaica until 1833 was lawful because such unauthorised removal and subsequent enslavement was contrary to the fundamental principles of the common law, and because any local legislation that purported to authorise their subjection to slavery was void as repugnant to fundamental principles of English law;

(b) Whether the forced transport and subsequent enslavement of people of African descent up until 1838 constituted ‘crimes against humanity’ under international law, for which the UK bears responsibility; and

(c) In light of the said actions/illegalities, whether the UK is under an obligation to provide a remedy to the Jamaican people for the unlawful transport and subsequent enslavement of African people in Jamaica under British rule up until 1838 and for the continuing consequences of the same?

Grange told the House that this was a legal approach which does not in any way conflict with the political approach as posited through negotiation.

“This legal approach, however, reminds us of a similar approach taken by two formerly enslaved West Africans — the famous Olaudah Equiano, who freed himself by buying his freedom and journeyed to England,” said Grange.

The other was Lourenzo Mendonza, who journeyed to the Vatican and presented a similar case before the Pope in 1684 and secured the declaration that slavery was unlawful.

Grange noted that Equiano became a part of the abolitionist group called Sons of Africa. He presented a case before the courts there in 1777 under Lord Mansfield and won a declaration that slavery was unlawful in England and, by extension, in her colonies.

“Jamaica intends such by placing these three questions before the Privy Council in accordance with Section 4 of the Judicial Committee Act of 1833, which gives the Monarch discretionary powers to place before the Privy Council for advice, any matter of constitutional importance that cannot be heard in local courts,” said Grange.

“We have taken much into consideration, including positions discussed with us by several legal minds. The matter is now with the Attorney General of Jamaica for filing on behalf of the people of Jamaica,” she added.

The minister took time to recognise the work done on reparation by the outgoing Member of Parliament for Clarendon Central Mike Henry, as well as prominent attorney-at-law Frank Phipps. She also cited the work of the Legal Committee of the National Council on Reparation (NCR) led by King’s Counsel Bert Samuels, Laleta Davis Mattis, and a team of British lawyers led by Lawrence Cartier, who, she noted, offered their services to Henry and, by extension, the NCR pro bono.

“We will follow closely the submission of our petition, as it must be done before Jamaica transitions to a republic,” Grange said.