King Charles III (Photo courtesy of the White House)
KINGSTON/LONDON--The United Kingdom is maintaining its longstanding position against paying reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, even as Jamaica takes a new legal approach to the question of Britain’s responsibility for slavery.
A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government’s position remains that “the UK does not and will not pay reparations”, according to international media reports.
The statement comes days after Jamaica’s Culture Minister Olivia Grange formally submitted a petition concerning slavery to King Charles III, on September 7, 2026, asking that three questions surrounding the legality of the practice and Britain’s potential responsibility for a remedy be considered by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Grange has, however, stressed that the petition itself is not a demand for a specified financial payment, as reported by some media outlets.
In a “Jamaica Observer” article, the government minister said the petition was filed through the appropriate procedure after the Jamaican Government received guidance from the Palace. She also explained that a request for a courtesy meeting with the King was denied because he was away at Balmoral.
“Once again Charles ducks for cover when the issue of slavery and empire is raised,” Graham Smith, CEO of anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, is quoted by Al Jazeera.
Grange said Jamaica is seeking some form of redress for the consequences of chattel slavery, while making clear that the petition contains no monetary figure. Jamaica’s Culture Ministry has likewise confirmed that the legal filing does not itself seek a payment, preliminarily.
The Jamaican government argues that addressing the continuing effects of slavery requires more than acknowledging its historical suffering.
On March 25, 2026, the 80th UN General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution recognizing the trafficking of enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity.
Championed by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who leads on reparatory justice within the African Union, the resolution passed with 123 votes in favour, three against, and 52 abstentions – including Britain. All CARICOM member states voted in support.
Meanwhile, the UK has rebuffed reparations while stating that it acknowledges the brutality of slavery and its historical significance.
