French lawmakers voted May 23, 2024, to formally repeal the Code Noir, a slavery-era law enacted in 1685 [1, 3].
The move removes a legal vestige that defined enslaved people as movable property. By striking the edict, France seeks to address its colonial legacy and open a public dialogue regarding reparations for the descendants of enslaved people.
The French National Assembly passed the repeal with a unanimous vote of 254-0 [3]. Although France abolished slavery in 1848 [2], the 1685 edicts remained on the books as an outdated legal framework. The Code Noir had served as the primary regulatory system for slavery in the French colonial empire for centuries [3].
This legislative action follows a previous acknowledgment in 2001, when France recognized slavery and the slave trade as crimes against humanity [4]. However, the continued existence of the Code Noir was viewed by historians and activists as a contradiction to that recognition.
Historian Olivette Otele said the repeal provides a necessary starting point for a broader national conversation. "Now we can start talking about reparations," Otele said [5].
The repeal is largely symbolic, as the law had no practical application in modern French courts. Nevertheless, the decision aims to reconcile the nation's current values with its historical role in the transatlantic slave trade, a process that involves acknowledging the legal mechanisms used to dehumanize people [1, 2].
“The National Assembly passed the repeal with a unanimous vote of 254-0.”
The repeal of the Code Noir represents a transition from symbolic recognition to legislative action. While the law was functionally obsolete, its presence in the legal record served as a reminder of the state's role in institutionalizing slavery. By removing the law, France creates a legal and political opening to discuss financial or social reparations, shifting the debate from the acknowledgment of past crimes to the possibility of restitution.
