Jamaica reparations petition hearing scheduled for March 2027

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has set a preliminary hearing date for the week of March 8, 2027, regarding a petition filed on behalf of the people of Jamaica. The petition, referred by His Majesty the King, seeks a legal ruling on the legality of chattel slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

Jamaica is seeking a determination on whether the capture, transportation, and enslavement of Africans in Jamaica were ever lawful under English law, whether these actions breached international law, and if the United Kingdom owes the Jamaican people a reparatory remedy. The United Kingdom government has until November 20, 2026, to file its case.