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KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica is taking a step for reparatory justice, with a delegation travelling to London to lodge a petition concerning transatlantic slavery.

The petition asks King Charles III, Jamaica’s head of state, to refer three legal questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. They concern whether the enslavement of Africans in Jamaica was lawful under English law, whether it breached international law, and whether Britain has a legal duty to provide redress.

Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange is leading the delegation. The filing is expected to mark the first time a Commonwealth country has pursued this route for reparatory justice.

Grange said Jamaica wants legal answers before determining its next steps. The initiative forms part of a Caribbean campaign seeking acknowledgement, apology and measures to address the social and economic effects of slavery and colonialism.

King Charles would act on advice from the relevant authorities rather than make the referral personally. The British Government has previously rejected financial reparations, although the King has spoken about addressing historic wrongs.

Jamaican representatives are also expected to hold bilateral discussions and meet the British Museum concerning the return of cultural artefacts, including three objects connected to Jamaica’s Indigenous Taino heritage. The Independent