The French National Assembly voted May 21, 2024 [1], to formally abolish the Code noir, a set of laws regulating slavery.
This legislative action corrects a historical omission in French law. Although slavery ended in 1848, the Code noir had never been formally repealed, leaving a legal vestige of the colonial era on the books for 178 years [2].
Deputy Steevy Gustave, a descendant of enslaved people, expressed emotion during the proceedings in Paris [3]. The session marked a symbolic turning point for the legislature as it sought to erase the legal framework that once codified the dehumanization of enslaved populations [4].
The move comes amid broader efforts to address the legacy of colonialism in France. The vote coincided with the 25th anniversary of the Taubira law [5], which recognized the slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
The Code noir originally established the rules for the treatment, religion, and discipline of enslaved people in French colonies. By formally striking these laws from the legal record, the Assembly intended to finalize the legal transition from a slave-holding empire to a republic based on universal rights [4].
While the laws had no practical application in modern French courts, their continued existence was viewed by critics as a lingering stain on the national legal system. The Assembly's decision to remove the text ensures that the laws governing slavery are no longer part of the French legal corpus [4].
“The Code noir had never been formally repealed since the abolition of slavery in 1848.”
The formal repeal of the Code noir is a symbolic legal gesture rather than a change in current judicial practice. By removing the laws from the books 178 years after the abolition of slavery, France is attempting to align its written legal history with its republican values of liberty and equality, addressing a long-standing criticism regarding the persistence of colonial-era statutes.
