Would Jamaica be able to continue its fight for reparations before the UK-based Privy Council should the country achieve republic status before the matter is resolved?

That was the question posed by Member of Parliament for St Catherine North West, Damion Crawford, to the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange, during Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives.

Crawford posed several questions to Grange after she made a statement to the Parliament in which she disclosed that Britain’s King Charles had referred Jamaica’s petition for reparations for chattel slavery that was filed on September 7 to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

READ: Grange: King Charles responds to Jamaica’s reparations petition; refers matter to Privy Council

“We are awaiting directions from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as to the next steps to be taken in the case,” she said.

Pointing out that the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago was unable to bring such a petition before the Privy Council even while retaining that body as its final appellate court, Crawford asked Grange if she “had any estimate of the time likely to be taken for hearing and decision on this petition?”.

“And if you do, would this cause for a delay for Jamaica’s intention to seek the status of a republic? If you do not have that knowledge, what is the alternate strategy if there is undue delay?” he added.

In her response, Grange said the reparations committee was well aware of the fact that Jamaica would not have been able to proceed in this manner if we were a republic.

“And that is why we’re using this approach at this time because the King is the head of state of Jamaica”.

She gave a more facetious response to the republic timeline while taking a jab at Crawford and the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP).

“It’s more in your hands,” she said to laughter and desk thumping from her Government colleagues.

“You answer that one. You tell us,” she added.

Continuing, Grange said, “In the meantime we have chosen a legal path, we want some answers and we’re focused on that and we’re not going to speculate. We’re happy that we’ve had a response very quickly. The turnaround time has been very good”.

Grange then urged parliamentarians to “not make this a political, antagonistic type of situation”.

Jamaica’s move towards republic status that would see King Charles removed as head of state and a president appointed in place of the Governor General, stalled during the life of the last Parliament after the PNP and governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) failed to agree on key matters.

For Jamaica to ditch the Monarchy, a two-thirds vote is required in both Houses of Parliament. However, in January 2025, the Opposition boycotted the second meeting of the joint select committee examining the Constitution (Amendment) Republic Bill.

A week earlier, on January 15, Opposition Leader Mark Golding posed four questions to Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, one of which was to clarify the stance of the JLP on the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Golding has said the PNP would only support the effort if Jamaica makes the CCJ its final appellate court at the same time it ditches the Monarchy. The JLP has said it prefers a two-step approach.

-Lynford Simpson