France formally repeals slavery-era Code Noir

PARIS — France's Senate unanimously voted on Tuesday to formally abolish the Code Noir, a set of decrees issued by King Louis XIV in 1685 that governed slavery in the French colonial empire, according to Anadolu Agency.

The vote gave final approval to the bill and completed the legislative process. The National Assembly had adopted the measure unanimously in May, Anadolu Agency reported, citing the French news portal France Info.

The Code Noir classified enslaved people as movable property that could be bought and sold. It also set harsh punishments for those who tried to escape, including mutilation, branding and the death penalty, according to the report.

The bill requires the government to submit a report on the legacy of colonial-era laws. The report is to examine their lasting effects, particularly in relation to racism, and the teaching of slavery in French schools, Anadolu Agency said.

The bill does not address demands for reparations for slavery. Anadolu Agency reported that the issue continues to be raised in several French overseas territories.

Background

Slavery was abolished in France's colonies in 1848. According to Anadolu Agency, the royal decrees and related provisions were never formally removed from French law, even though they had become legally obsolete. The repeal ends that gap in the legislation.

The report does not say when the government must deliver its findings.