Jamaican delegation to travel to UK to lodge formal slavery reparations petition with King Charles
Summary
Jamaican officials will visit the UK on September 6 to formally submit a petition to King Charles seeking legal advice on slavery reparations. The petition asks if the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica was lawful, if it was a crime against humanity, and whether Britain owes compensation for slavery and its lasting effects.Key Facts
- Jamaica plans to lodge a reparations petition with King Charles on September 6, 2024.
- The petition requests legal advice from the UK’s Privy Council, the highest court for some Commonwealth countries.
- It questions the legality of the forced transport of Africans and whether Britain must pay reparations.
- The Caribbean Community (Caricom) fully supports Jamaica’s effort.
- The petition date marks the anniversary of the 1781 voyage of the Zong slave ship, where 140 enslaved Africans were killed.
- Jamaica highlights that British planters were compensated in 1834 when slavery ended, but enslaved people received no payment.
- Jamaica has given internal reparations to its Rastafarian community through an apology and land transfer.
- The petition team includes Jamaica’s Attorney General and UK lawyers, and cites a 2023 UN resolution calling the slave trade a crime against humanity.
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