France’s National Assembly votes to remove the slavery-era “Code Noir” from French law, according to international and Canadian reporting. The measure follows a long-running debate about how France should address legal remnants of its colonial slave system. The Code Noir was a foundational legal framework used during the period of slavery in France’s colonies, establishing rules governing slavery, including the treatment and regulation of enslaved people. While the historic practice of enslavement occurred under colonial rule rather than in metropolitan France, the Code Noir is often cited as a key document reflecting how slavery was systematized in French colonial governance.
Reports describe the decision as the final step in a legislative effort to “scrub” the edict from the statute books. The coverage also notes the scale often attributed to the Code Noir era, including references to up to 1.4 million Africans brought into slavery under French colonial systems. The vote reflects a broader legal and historical reassessment in France, as lawmakers address the legacy of slavery embedded in past institutions and laws.
