France confronts enduring legacy of slavery, 25 years on from Taubira Law

A sculpture entitled ‘Four-yoke slave chain’ from Benin, dating from the 19th century, seen at the Caribbean Centre for Expression and Memory of Slavery and the Slave Trade in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, 2015. © Nicolas Derne / AFP

France is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Taubira Law, landmark legislation that recognised the transatlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity – amid renewed debate over reparations and the legacy of colonialism.

This month's anniversary of the Taubira Law comes as French MPs move to formally repeal the “Code Noir” – a collection of royal decrees from the 17th and 18th centuries which regulated slavery in the French colonies.