What to know about Code Noir slavery law
France’s lower house has voted finally to scrub a foundational slavery-era edict from French law.
The National Assembly voted 254-0 to overturn Code Noir or Black Code on Thursday.
It now goes to the Senate.
A French philosopher has described Code Noir as “the most monstrous legal text of modern times." King Louis XIV signed it at Versailles Palace in 1685 to set the rules for slavery across France’s colonial empire.
Its 60 articles first governed the French Caribbean and were later extended to French Guiana, Louisiana and the Indian Ocean islands of Réunion and Mauritius.
France Repeals Slavery-Era Code Noir
- What to know about Code Noir, a shocking French law that oversaw the slavery of 1.4 million Africans The Independent —
- France moves towards symbolic repealing of slavery legislation Le Monde —
- France moves to repeal Code Noir, the slavery law it never abolished ABC News —
- French parliament backs repeal of slavery-era edicts, dodges reparations call The Straits Times —
- France moves towards symbolic repealing of slavery legislation • FRANCE 24 English 📹 France 24 — · 1min