Reparations
Also called: Reparatory justice · Topic: Equality and Social Justice · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Reparations means making amends for a serious wrong, often a historical one such as slavery or colonial rule. It also goes by the name reparatory justice. It can take three forms: restitution (putting things back as they were), compensation (paying money) and satisfaction (for example, a formal apology). The International Law Commission's Articles on State Responsibility (2001) say a state that breaks international law must make "full reparation" (Art. 31). That duty arises only after a wrongful act is proved. Under Art. 37, an apology is meant to cover only the harm that restitution or money cannot repair. So it does not replace them.
Example
On 7 September 2026, Jamaica asked King Charles III to refer three questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. One of them was whether the UK has a legal duty to give reparatory remedies for slavery. The UK said it was open to an apology but ruled out financial reparations. In 1833, Britain paid £20 million to slave owners, and the enslaved received nothing.
Don't confuse with
- Affirmative action: special opportunities, such as quotas, that a state gives to its own disadvantaged groups to reach real equality. Reparations are a remedy that the party responsible for a specific wrong owes to the people it harmed.
- Apology: only one form of reparation (satisfaction). On its own, it does not amount to full reparation.