France formally repeals slavery-era 'Code Noir'

France's Senate unanimously voted Tuesday to formally abolish the Code Noir, a set of royal decrees passed by King Louis XIV in 1685 that legally regulated slavery and defined the rights, duties and restrictions of enslaved people and their owners in the French colonial empire.

The vote confirmed a decision previously adopted unanimously by the National Assembly in May, completing the legislative process to repeal the slavery-era legislation, according to the news portal France Info.

The Code Noir classified enslaved people as movable property, allowing them to be bought and sold.

The legislation also prescribed harsh punishments for enslaved people who attempted to escape, including mutilation, branding and the death penalty.

Although slavery was abolished in France's colonies in 1848, the royal decrees and related provisions were never formally removed from French legislation, despite having become legally obsolete.

The legislation also requires the government to submit a report examining the legacy of colonial-era laws, their lasting effects, particularly in relation to racism, and the teaching of slavery in French schools.

However, the bill does not address demands for reparations for slavery, an issue that continues to be raised in several French overseas territories.