Petition · past parliament
Allow the Trustees of the British Museum to accept repatriation requests
Closed
2,650 signatures
What the petition asks
The Government should be responsive to global calls for artefacts to be returned to their place of origin, and should amend the British Museum Act 1963 to allow the Trustees of the British Museum to consider and potentially facilitate their repatriation.
The British Museum Act 1963 does not permit the Trustees to dispose of any artefacts (save in a small number of special circumstances), even following reasonable repatriation requests. The Trustees should be permitted by law to act with greater freedom and flexibility in recognising the educational and historical value and cultural enrichment of outstanding artefacts, such as the Parthenon sculptures and Benin Bronzes, and in returning them to their place of origin.
Timeline
| 2 Oct 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 2 Apr 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
2,650
Status
Closed
Opened
2 Oct 2020
Closed
2 Apr 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.