Overview
- A transpartisan bill filed by the Liot group was introduced this week in the Assembly's Commission des lois and is set for debate later this month.
- The proposal seeks to take the Code noir off France’s statute book and also requires a report on the long-term effects of colonial-era laws where they applied.
- Deputy Olivier Serva has lodged an amendment to change the remedy from 'abroger' to 'annuler,' which would aim to erase the law retroactively rather than only end it for the future.
- Supporters say the Code noir legally codified the dehumanization and sale of enslaved people and that removing it would be a symbolic reckoning with colonial injustice.
- What to watch next: the Assembly debate will decide the legal form of the change and whether retroactive annulment is pursued, a choice that will shape both symbolic meaning and possible legal consequences for past acts.