UN judge has stated that the United Kingdom is likely to owe more than £18 trillion in reparations for its historical involvement in the transatlantic slavery trade. According to

a report co-authored by Judge Patrick Robinson, the UK should pay $24 trillion (£18.8 trillion) for its role in slavery across 14 countries. However, Robinson emphasized that this sum is an "underestimation" of the true damage caused by the slave trade. He expressed astonishment that some countries responsible for slavery continue to disregard its consequences.

"Once a state has committed a wrongful act, it's obliged to pay reparations," stated Robinson, who presided over the trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.

Robinson's remarks were made ahead of his keynote speech at an event commemorating Unesco's Day for Remembering the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Abolition at London's City Hall.

Robinson, a member of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) since 2015, conducted research on reparations as part of his honorary presidency of the American Society of International Law. He collaborated with economists, lawyers, and historians to produce the Brattle Group Report on Reparations for Transatlantic Chattel Slavery.

The report, released in June, is one of the most comprehensive efforts to quantify the harms caused by slavery and calculate reparations owed by each country involved. It calculates that a total of $107.8 trillion (£87.1 trillion) in reparations should be paid by 31 former slaveholding states, including Spain, the United States, and France. The valuation is based on five harms caused by slavery and the wealth accumulated by these countries. The report suggests payment plans spanning decades but leaves the negotiation of sums and terms to the respective governments.

Robinson emphasized the necessity of reparations for the completion of emancipation, considering the "high figures" in the Brattle Report as a stark portrayal of the severity of slavery. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also addressed the event, underscoring the transatlantic slave trade as a deeply degrading act of human exploitation.

While the Brattle Report has garnered attention within the reparations movement, governments implicated are unlikely to adopt its recommendations. Caribbean countries have pursued slavery reparations from these governments for years with limited success. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak dismissed calls for the UK government to apologize and pay reparations for its role in slavery.

The British government and monarchy played active roles in the transatlantic slave trade, which saw millions of Africans enslaved and forced to work, primarily on Caribbean plantations from the 16th to 19th centuries. Britain's involvement in ending the trade included the abolition of slavery through legislation in 1833. However, the UK government has never formally apologized for slavery or offered reparations.

When questioned about whether Prime Minister Sunak would take the Brattle Report seriously, Robinson expressed hope that he would reconsider his stance and urged him to read the report. Robinson highlighted that the £18.8 trillion figure could be an underestimate and that the report's figures accurately reflect the immense damage caused by slavery. He emphasized his amazement at countries that choose to disregard the consequences of historical practices, emphasizing the need for acknowledgment and understanding. Photo by ICTY photos, Wikimedia commons.