Jamaica’s slavery petition packed with years of research

Jamaica’s petition inviting King Charles III to refer to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council questions regarding Britain’s seizure, transportation, chattelisation, and enslavement of the island’s ancestors from the mid-17th century to 1834 is packed with heavy and emotive information gathered through extensive research conducted over at least 17 years.

“It is estimated that over a period of more than 300 years, at least 15.4 million Africans were forcibly captured and transported across the Atlantic. It is recorded that approximately 1.2 million people were transported to Jamaica alone,” the petition states in the opening section outlining the background to the application.

Filed on September 7, 2026 by a delegation headed by Culture Minister Olivia Grange, the petition gives overwhelming information about the cruelty and inhumane treatment meted out to captured Africans who were sold into slavery.