The struggle for the right to reparation in the French Republic: A short history

This article provides a brief overview of the birth and development of the movement for reparations within the French Republic, looking at specificities that differentiate the French reparations movement from movements in the Caribbean, USA and UK. It begins by looking at the genesis of the reparations movement in the years leading up to the 150th anniversary of France’s abolition of slavery in 1998 that led to the passing of the Taubira law (2001) recognising slavery and the so-called slave trade as a crime against humanity. It then focuses on the ways that reparations activists have been trying to make use of the Taubira law to press for the right to reparation through France law courts, concentrating on the campaign led by the Mouvement International pour les Réparations (MIR).