France Repeals Code Noir

The French National Assembly has voted unanimously to formally repeal the 'Code Noir,' a 1685 decree signed by King Louis XIV to govern the treatment of enslaved people in French colonies.

The law, which classified human beings as 'moveable goods' or chattel, had remained on the books despite France's 1848 abolition of slavery.

The symbolic repeal follows a raw and emotional debate in the chamber, where lawmakers acknowledged the long-overdue need to explicitly strike the racist legislation from the national code.

Human rights advocates have hailed the decision as a significant step in addressing France's colonial legacy and closing a persistent legal loophole.