Judge Calls UK to Pay £18.8 Trillion Slavery Reparations

Patrick Robinson, a Jamaican judge formerly of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has called for the UK to pay over £18 trillion in reparations for slavery while also advocating for the return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, as mandated by a 2019 ICJ ruling. This ruling has gained traction in discussions about the UK's potential cession of the islands, which include the strategically important Diego Garcia military base, to Mauritius. Robinson co-authored a 2023 UN report asserting that the UK owes £18.8 trillion as part of a broader £87.1 trillion obligation from former slaveholding nations. He argued that the reparations figure is likely an underestimation of the damage caused by the slave trade. His views have received support from various political figures, including Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, who emphasized the need for acknowledgment of Britain's historical involvement in slavery. The ongoing negotiations regarding the Chagos Islands and the reparations debate highlight complex issues of decolonization and historical justice.