French senate unanimously approves Black Code repeal

The French Parliament has approved a bill to formally repeal the “Black Code,” which contained provisions governing slavery in the country’s colonial territories.

The bill to repeal the “Black Code” was put to a vote in the French Senate, the upper house of Parliament.

The bill was unanimously adopted by the Senate, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

With this vote, the bill received final approval from the French Parliament.

For the “Black Code” to be officially repealed, the bill must also be published in the Official Journal.

For a bill to be approved by the French Parliament, both the Senate and the National Assembly must agree on the same text.

The “Black Code” dates back to the colonial era and contained inhumane provisions governing enslaved people in French colonies.

Introduced by France in 1685, the “Black Code” regulated the lives and religious practices of enslaved people in the colonies. By classifying enslaved people as movable property, the law provided a legal basis for the slave trade.

Although France abolished slavery in 1848, rendering the “Black Code” legally obsolete, it had never been formally repealed.

The bill, introduced by Guadeloupe deputy Max Mathiasin, was unanimously approved by the lower house of Parliament, the National Assembly, in May.

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