France Votes To Repeal Slavery-Era ‘Black Code’ Laws

France’s lower house of parliament has unanimously voted to formally repeal a series of slavery-era royal decrees known as the “Code noir” or Black Code, marking a symbolic move to confront the country’s colonial past.

Although slavery was abolished in France more than 170 years ago, the controversial laws — which defined enslaved Africans as “movable property” and legitimised harsh punishment — had technically remained on the statute books.

All 254 lawmakers present in the National Assembly voted in favour of the bill on Thursday. The legislation will now proceed to the Senate, where approval is widely expected.

The repeal, however, did not include provisions on reparations tied to France’s historical role in the transatlantic slave trade.

France was the third-largest European trader of enslaved Africans during the colonial era, after Britain and Portugal. Historians estimate that more than one million Africans were transported on French ships to work mainly in Caribbean colonies.

If enacted, the measure will require the French government to submit a report to parliament on the lasting impact of colonial legislation, the effects of slavery on racism and discrimination, and how slavery is taught in schools.

The “Code noir,” issued between 1685 and 1724 under King Louis XIV, regulated slavery across France’s colonial empire. Although slavery was definitively abolished in 1848, the decrees were never formally repealed.

Presenting the bill, Max Mathiasin, a centrist lawmaker from Guadeloupe, said the move was an act of historical recognition.

“This proposal does not claim to erase history, nor to single-handedly heal the wounds of history,” Mathiasin said.

“It aims to take a new step, to make a powerful act of remembrance, justice and recognition, by formally repealing the Code noir and all the texts that stem from it.”

Greens lawmaker Steevy Gustave, whose father was born in Martinique, described the vote as deeply personal.

“I’m thinking of my great-grandmother, Mama Bebelle,” he told parliament.

“She was the grand-daughter of Ambroise Zerambe, born in Africa, then reduced to slavery under the number 336.”

French President Emmanuel Macron had earlier supported the symbolic repeal and raised the question of reparations, though no formal policy has been introduced.

The issue of reparations remains divisive in France, with proposals ranging from official apologies to financial compensation. Critics argue that present-day governments should not be held responsible for historical crimes.

Mathiasin said he excluded reparations from the bill to ensure the repeal effort was not derailed.

However, some lawmakers insisted the issue must still be addressed.

“In my opinion, we must fight on the issue of reparations, which is the essential question,” said Marcellin Nadeau, a left-wing lawmaker from Martinique.

Former Martinique President Serge Letchimy also called for broader restorative measures, urging Macron to back a more comprehensive approach.

In an open letter, he proposed a 10-point plan from Caribbean nations, including debt cancellation, healthcare support and literacy programmes.

The “Code noir,” signed in 1685 at Versailles under King Louis XIV, classified enslaved people as “movable property,” stripping them of legal rights and enforcing compulsory religious instruction.

Although rendered obsolete after slavery’s abolition in 1848, the decrees remained formally unrepealed until Thursday’s parliamentary vote.