Jamaica is taking Britain to court — using Britain’s own laws

Jamaica is preparing to send a formal delegation to the United Kingdom on 6 September 2026 to personally lodge an unprecedented reparations petition with King Charles III — a date deliberately chosen to mark the 244th anniversary of the departure of the Zong slave ship from West Africa.

On that voyage, the ship’s captain threw 140 enslaved Africans overboard to claim insurance on ‘lost cargo’, before the vessel arrived at Black River, Jamaica, in December 1781.

Culture Minister Olivia Grange, speaking in Parliament, confirmed the planned visit and its significance: the petition asks King Charles to exercise his authority under the Judicial Committee Act of 1833 to refer three foundational legal questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council — whether the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica was lawful under English common law, whether slavery constituted a crime against humanity, and whether Britain bears a legal obligation to provide reparations for slavery and its enduring consequences.

The petition is addressed to King Charles specifically ‘in his capacity as head of state of Jamaica and from whom we expect protection,’ Grange stated.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, speaking as Caricom Chair at the 49th Heads of Government meeting in Montego Bay, confirmed ‘broad support’ from member states, calling the move a ‘watershed moment for Caricom and the broader global movement for reparatory justice.’

• Delegation visit to UK confirmed for 6 September 2026 • Date marks 244th anniversary of the Zong slave ship’s departure from West Africa • 140 enslaved Africans were killed during the Zong voyage; ship arrived at Black River, Jamaica, December 1781 • Petition asks King Charles to invoke authority under the Judicial Committee Act of 1833 • Three legal questions referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council • Caricom Heads of Government expressed broad support at 49th meeting in Montego Bay • PM Holness described it as a ‘watershed moment’ for Caricom and the global reparations movement.