Olivia Grange, Minister for Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport of the Republic of Jamaica The government of Jamaica is filing a petition calling for slavery reparations to coincide with a particularly horrific chapter from the country’s past, a minister told HuffPost UK. Jamaica’s culture, gender, entertainment and sports minister Olivia Grange is in Britain to ask King Charles, as Jamaica’s head of state, to refer three specific questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. That includes whether the seizure of Africans, their forced transportation to Jamaica and their chattel enslavement was ever lawful under English law, whether it is a breach of international law, and if the UK has a legal obligation to offer a reparatory remedy. Grange said: “This is an unprecedented and historic moment in the global fight for reparatory justice.” However, the UK has previously rejected calls for slavery reparations. In 2024, Keir Starmer’s government insisted the UK would not pay reparations for the part it played in the transatlantic slave trade, with some estimates putting the potential bill at £18 trillion. Yet Grange told HuffPost UK: “We are not focused on monetary value at this time. We are focused on getting answers to the questions we have asked. And then we will determine next steps.” Asked why the petition is being filed now, after Britain’s previous rejections, Grange said it was to honour the 245th anniversary of particularly horrendous episode. She said: “The timing of the petition is to coincide with our reflections on the Zong massacre. “The Zong massacre happened on the 6th [September]. “There was a Zong slave ship that sailed from West Africa on route to Jamaica. And it carried about 400 Africans, and during that journey, 140 Africans were thrown overboard. “And the reason for doing so was primarily to claim insurance. Child slavery was the most horrendous type of slavery that one could find, and our ancestors were treated as property. “And so, in Jamaica, when we have observances, a church service is always an important part of what we do. And the service today, the 6th, is the observance of the anniversary when the ship sailed from West Africa. “And so we thought it’s timely to have the anniversary service and then the next day to file the petition.” Charles himself has previously spoken up about the injustice of slavery, claiming he in 2024 that he understands the “most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate”. However, he added said that “none of us can change the past” and called on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHoGM) to find “creative ways to right inequalities” from our shared history. Grange told HuffPost UK: “I do not want to preempt his Majesty, but what I can say is that Jamaica started this journey many years ago. “It started with a motion moved in parliament and parliament voted unanimously across political divide that Jamaica should seek reparations and should create a road map on this journey.” She added: “We have been mandated by the Jamaican parliament to pursue reparation. We have an obligation to do so on behalf of the people of Jamaica.” Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Trump Attacks Museum For Focus On 'How Bad Slavery Was' And, Boy, The Responses King Charles Has Waded Into The Row Over Slavery Reparations Commonwealth Countries To Defy Keir Starmer Over Slavery Reparations