The French National Assembly voted Thursday, May 28, 2026, to repeal the Code Noir, a law that classified enslaved people as property [1, 2].
The move represents a symbolic effort to formally dismantle the legal remnants of France's colonial history. By removing the law, lawmakers aim to acknowledge the human rights violations of the past and erase a framework that treated people as chattel [1, 3].
The vote was unanimous, passing with a count of 254-0 [1]. The Code Noir was originally enacted in 1685 to regulate the lives and conditions of enslaved people in French colonies [1].
Although France abolished slavery in its colonies in 1848 [2], the Code Noir remained formally embedded in the nation's legal framework [1]. This meant the law treating humans as property existed on the books for approximately 178 years after the practice of slavery was outlawed [3].
Lawmakers in Paris said the repeal was a necessary step in addressing the country's history of colonization. The decision follows years of debate regarding how the French state should reconcile its legal heritage with its modern values of liberty and equality [1, 3].
Because the Code Noir was a foundational document for colonial administration, its persistence in the legal code served as a reminder of the systemic dehumanization of enslaved populations. The unanimous vote indicates a broad political consensus on the need to remove such outdated and harmful legislation [1, 2].
“The National Assembly unanimously voted to repeal the 1685 Code Noir.”
This repeal is a symbolic legal correction rather than a change in current criminal practice, as slavery has been illegal in France since 1848. However, the formal removal of the Code Noir addresses a long-standing contradiction in the French legal system, where a law defining humans as property remained technically active. This action reflects a broader global trend of former colonial powers formally apologizing for or legally erasing the structures of chattel slavery to facilitate national reconciliation.
