King Charles has referred a landmark slavery reparations petition from Jamaica to a high-level UK appeals court for legal advice. Jamaica's culture minister, Olivia Grange, announced the development in parliament on Tuesday, describing the move as a "really big deal".
Ms Grange informed Jamaican MPs that the monarch confirmed the legal questions have been passed to the London-based Privy Council, which serves as the final court of appeal for UK overseas territories and some Commonwealth countries.
The petition seeks guidance on three specific questions: whether the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica was lawful; whether it constituted a crime against humanity; and whether Britain is under an obligation to provide restitution for slavery and its enduring consequences. The petition was filed on 7 September 2026.
Jamaica utilised a rarely used mechanism within the Judicial Committee Act 1833, which permits the King to refer questions of a "legal or constitutional nature" to the Privy Council when they cannot be resolved through ordinary courts. Jamaican officials believe a Privy Council opinion, while not compelling the UK government to pay reparations, could influence negotiations and legal options, potentially setting a precedent for other Commonwealth nations.
Earlier this month, Ms Grange led a Jamaican delegation to London to officially lodge the petition. The UK government's long-held position, reiterated by a spokesperson for Andy Burnham, is that "the UK does not and will not pay reparations." Ms Grange stated that Jamaica is "awaiting directions from the Judicial Committee of the privy council as to the next steps to be taken in the case."