French lawmakers in the National Assembly adopted a bill to symbolically repeal the Code Noir on Thursday, May 23, 2024 [1, 2].
The move represents a formal effort by the French state to confront its colonial legacy and align its legal framework with the modern recognition of slavery as a crime against humanity [1, 2].
The Code Noir, which dates from the 17th century [2], established a legal regime for the treatment of enslaved people in French colonies. The legislation defined enslaved individuals as "moveable goods," stripping them of basic human rights, and legal personhood [1, 2]. While France abolished slavery more than 170 years ago in 1848 [3], the specific language of the Code Noir remained on the books as a historical legal vestige [2].
Lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament sought to remove this legislation to ensure that no laws treating humans as property remain in the national code, even in a symbolic capacity [1, 2]. The repeal is part of a broader initiative to address the historical injustices associated with the transatlantic slave trade and French colonial administration [1, 2].
By voting to repeal the law, the National Assembly intends to signal a definitive break from the legal structures that supported systemic enslavement [1, 2]. The bill focuses on the symbolic necessity of erasing the Code Noir from the legal record to reflect current human rights standards [1, 2].
“The Code Noir defined enslaved people as "moveable goods"”
This legislative action is a performative legal correction rather than a change in current practice, as the Code Noir had no practical application in modern French law. However, it serves as a critical political gesture in the ongoing debate over reparations and the historical responsibility of former colonial powers toward their former colonies.
