France simplifies law on restitution of human remains

This article was first published by the Art Newspaper.

Human remains held in French public collections and less than 500 years old, can now be returned to their countries of origin by a decision of the prime minister. This follows the adoption of a law on Monday 18 December, aimed at facilitating their restitutions. Up to now each restitution had to be approved by a special law.

Requests must be made by a foreign state and will be accepted only to fulfil funerary customs of a living community, therefore prohibiting any exhibitions. Decisions will be taken after a report of a commission comprising experts from France and concerned countries.

However, the legislation does not cover the cases of people from French territories around the world, including indigenous people exhibited in Paris’s “human zoos“. Parliament has given the culture minister one year to report on the restitutions of these remains.