Overview

• The Code Noir, a 1685 royal ordinance that codified slavery in French colonies, was never formally repealed despite the abolition of slavery in 1794 and 1848.
• Prime Minister François Bayrou has committed to presenting a bill in Parliament to officially repeal the Code Noir, following a parliamentary query by Deputy Laurent Panifous.
• Aurore Bergé, Minister for Equality, has been appointed to collaborate with Groupe Liot on drafting the legislation, which is expected to gain broad support.
• The Code Noir defined enslaved individuals as property and enforced harsh controls, including corporal punishment and forced religious conversion.
• This repeal effort is part of a broader initiative to eliminate outdated colonial laws and provide symbolic justice to descendants of enslaved people.