King Charles didn’t receive petition in person; away on annual summer break in Scotland

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaica has officially filed its landmark petition with King Charles over slavery reparations, aiming to confront historical crimes that still disadvantage former British colonies.

Buckingham Palace earlier confirmed that King Charles would not receive the Jamaican delegation or the petition in person, as he is away on his annual summer break in Scotland. However, palace officials noted the King does not have personal discretion over whether to refer the questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) and acts on formal advice.

The petition asks the King to refer three legal questions regarding the transatlantic slave trade to the JCPC. It will ask the King, who serves as Jamaica’s head of state, to refer three questions to the JCPC, the country’s highest court, over the legality of the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica. 

Petition hinges on 3-questions

The three questions which the Jamaican government is asking the King to refer to the JCPC are: whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal under English law, whether it broke international law, and whether Britain now has a legal duty to provide redress. The petition, which is not a demand for payment, goes to the King who then refers it to the JCPC. 

King Charles has no personal discretion in deciding whether to make a referral. Grange explains that this move paves the way for a “long outstanding settlement for the hundreds of years of the most horrific abuse that our African ancestors endured.” 

Buckingham Palace has been working closely with the Governor General of Jamaica to ensure the petition is correctly lodged.

A Palace spokesperson said: “His Majesty has on many occasions expressed his personal and wholehearted commitment to promoting greater understanding around the issue of slavery and finding ways to address historic wrongs for the benefit of communities today.”

In recent years, the UK government has declined to pay amends or issue an official apology for Britain’s role in the slave trade, despite growing numbers of Caribbean leaders calling for various measures, including debt cancellations. 

In the meantime, Jamaica’s decision to lodge a petition today with King Charles to seek legal guidance on its slavery reparations claim from Britain has been branded as a disgrace by Pan-African advocate, Dr Imani Tafari-Ama, who declared, “it is embarrassing. It is so embarrassing.” 

Highlighting the atrocities of slavery, Tafari-Ama contended that seeking advocacy from the very nation responsible for the harm is not just misguided, but also ironic.

“It is a contradiction for her to be enquiring of this person about the legality of anything because they are still the ones who are the head of Jamaica’s State, head of said Privy Council that she is talking about, and, therefore, it is a non-question,” she said in a newspaper interview.