French Senate formally repeals the historic Code Noir in symbolic vote
The French Senate unanimously approved a symbolic repeal of the Code Noir, the colonial-era statutes that once regulated slavery in France’s overseas territories.
On Tuesday, the French Senate voted unanimously to formally repeal the Code Noir and related colonial statutes that once sanctioned slavery in France’s overseas colonies. The legislation, drafted by Guadeloupe deputy Max Mathiasin, had already cleared the National Assembly with a similar unanimous vote in May and enjoys the support of President Emmanuel Macron. While the 17th- and 18th-century edicts lost legal force after the 1848 abolition, they remained on the books until this symbolic act removed them.
Overseas Minister Naïma Moutchou stressed that the Code Noir belongs to history, not current law, and highlighted the need to keep the memory of slavery and colonisation alive. Deputy Aurore Bergé used the occasion to promote a forthcoming “national cohesion” bill aimed at combating racism and anti-semitism. The law also mandates a government report on the colonial legal legacy and its influence on education, but it does not resolve the contentious issue of reparations, which several senators, including Victorin Lurel and Évelyne Corbière Naminzo, urged to pursue.
Why it matters
Erasing the Code Noir from French law acknowledges a painful colonial past and signals a commitment to confronting its lingering effects.
In this story
