French National Assembly repeals Code Noir law from 1685
via Le Mauricien1 min read
On May 28, 2026, the French Parliament unanimously voted to repeal the Code Noir law, originally promulgated in 1685 under Louis XIV and re-issued in 1724 under Louis XV. This law regulated and conditioned the practice of slavery in former French colonies from the late 17th to the first half of the 19th century. The continued existence of this law in French legal texts was considered an anomaly, given that slavery had been abolished across all French territories since 1848, and in Mauritius under British administration in 1835. The repeal carried significant symbolic and memorial weight for populations who were victims of slavery under French colonization. Among the speeches delivered during the National Assembly session, one by ecologist deputy Steevy Gustave, who referenced "Les Antilles," his father's origin, particularly resonated with parliamentarians and French media.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Le Mauricien.
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