French Lawmakers Repeal 1685 Code Noir in 254-0 Vote as France Revisits Slavery Legacy
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · May 28
French Lawmakers Repeal 1685 Code Noir in 254-0 Vote as France Revisits Slavery Legacy
13 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · May 28
France’s National Assembly voted 254-0 on Thursday to formally repeal the 1685 Code Noir, erasing a slavery decree that had lost force but was never annulled.
Signed by Louis XIV, the code treated enslaved people as property, imposed harsh punishments and ordered Jews expelled from French colonies within three months.
Emmanuel Macron had called the decree’s survival after slavery’s 1848 abolition “a form of offense,” and supporters cast the repeal as overdue historical reckoning rather than legal change.
France transported about 1.4 million Africans in the slave trade, and critics say the symbolic vote now needs to be followed by action on racism and inequality in overseas territories.
Why did France repeal a slavery law at home but abstain from a UN vote condemning the slave trade?
With the Code Noir gone, how will France dismantle the modern inequalities critics say still exist?
341 Years Later: France’s Historic Repeal of the Code Noir and the Unfinished Fight for Racial Justice
Overview
On May 28, 2026, France formally repealed the Code Noir, a long-dormant law that once codified slavery and racial discrimination. This legislative act, sought by human rights advocates and descendants of the enslaved, is seen as a formal acknowledgment of a dark chapter in French history and aims to erase the Code Noir from the legal framework. However, affected communities and critics argue that simply removing the law does little to address deep-rooted systemic racism and inequality. Their response highlights a broader call for comprehensive changes and active measures to achieve true reconciliation and meaningful redress.