France's National Assembly voted this week to repeal the Code Noir, a 1685 decree that regulated slavery in French colonies [1, 2, 3].
The move represents a symbolic effort by the French government to confront its colonial history and address racial inequalities that persist today [1, 2]. By formally striking the law from the records, lawmakers seek to acknowledge the systemic violence, and dehumanization codified by the state during the colonial era [1, 2].
The Code Noir, also known as the Black Code, established the legal framework for the treatment of enslaved people in the French empire. It defined the status of enslaved individuals as movable property and dictated strict rules for their discipline, and religious conversion [1, 2]. While the law had long been obsolete in practice, its formal presence in the legal tradition remained a point of contention for activists and historians [1, 3].
The vote in the National Assembly chamber in Paris was unanimous, with a final tally of 254-0 [1, 2]. The decision reflects a rare moment of total consensus among the lower house of Parliament regarding the country's historical legacy [1, 2].
Lawmakers said the repeal was a necessary step in the process of national reconciliation. The action is intended to serve as a public admission of the state's role in institutionalizing slavery across its territories [1, 2].
“The National Assembly voted unanimously to repeal the Code Noir.”
While the Code Noir had no practical legal application in the modern era, its formal repeal serves as a legislative acknowledgment of state-sponsored slavery. This action is part of a broader global trend of former colonial powers attempting to reconcile their national identities with the historical reality of transatlantic slavery and colonial exploitation.
