France to Finally Repeal the Code Noir: A Step Towards Reckoning with Slavery’s Legacy

France confronts its colonial past: The lingering shadow of the Code Noir. Paris, May 15, 2025 – A seemingly obscure legal document, the Code Noir, which governed slavery in French colonies, has resurfaced in the French National Assembly. This 1685 law, though superseded by the abolition of slavery in 1848, was never officially repealed. The issue was raised by a member of parliament who questioned Prime Minister François Bayrou. "Thanks to your question," Bayrou responded, "I discover this legal reality that I completely ignored." The Prime Minister pledged to introduce legislation to formally abolish the Code Noir, a move welcomed by many as a step towards acknowledging and addressing the lasting impact of slavery. Historians estimate that hundreds of thousands of enslaved people died in former French colonies under the Code Noir. The government's commitment to formally repeal this law represents a significant symbolic gesture and a commitment to confronting the country's colonial legacy.