UK government refuses slavery reparations as Jamaica urges king to act

By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters. Published On 7 Sep 20267 Sep 2026.

Key points

• The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is the final court of appeal for Jamaica and some other Commonwealth countries and territories.
• Prime Minister Andy Burnham's spokesperson remarked on Monday that "the UK does not and will not pay reparations".
• The Jamaican delegation is seeking $10bn in reparations and notes it is the first time a Commonwealth country has tried to apply this legal route.
• "Once again Charles ducks for cover when the issue of slavery and empire is raised, " remarked Graham Smith, CEO of anti-monarchy campaign group Republic.
• Minister Grange is additionally seeking the return of Caribbean artefacts held in British museums.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's administration has reiterated that it rejects reparations for Britain's role in the transatlantic slave trade as Jamaica has petitioned King Charles III over the problem.

While accepting that the country significantly benefitted from the trade, successive British governments have refused to engage in discussions regarding slavery reparations.

UK leaders have previously acknowledged the horrors of slavery and continue to do so, but have never formally apologised for Britain's role in sustaining it.

Burnham's spokesperson labelled the practice as "abhorrent", but maintained that position and insisted no compensation will be paid.

In practice, a delegation led by Jamaican Culture Minister Olivia Grange delivered a petition to Buckingham Palace on Monday, asking King Charles to seek legal advice from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.

For context, the petition poses three questions for the king to consider: whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was legal under English law; whether it violated international law; and whether the UK has a legal obligation to provide compensation for the harms caused by slavery.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is the final court of appeal for Jamaica and some other Commonwealth countries and territories.

For context, the Jamaican delegation is seeking $10bn in reparations and notes it is the first time a Commonwealth country has tried to apply this legal route.

King Charles is at present in Scotland and was not present at the palace as the petition was delivered.

Minister Grange is additionally seeking the return of Caribbean artefacts held in British museums. Despite the king's absence, and the government's reiteration that reparations will not be paid, Grange informed the Reuters news agency that she was "encouraged".

Last month, a United Nations committee concluded that countries are legally obliged to consider slavery reparations, warning that racial discrimination could not be tackled without "a full commitment to review and redress the ongoing harms and consequences of the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised slavery".

Taken together, the developments around UK government refuses slavery reparations as Jamaica urges king to act point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.