Constitutional Court Of Benin
The Constitutional Court is the highest authority in Benin on matters of constitutionality. Composed of seven justices, it is the body that regulates the functioning of government institutions and the activities of public figures. The court was founded in 1993. Its domicile is in Cotonou. History As part of Benin's transition to democracy in 1990 a conference was held to draft a new Constitution which provided limitations and separation of government powers and which created institutions that worked with one another to guarantee protection of fundamental freedoms and public freedoms. The Constitutional Court was one of these institutions. It was founded out of a desire to have a political regime free of dictatorship and unjust, arbitrary decision-making. Instead, the goal was to have a democratic, pluralist government in which human rights, public freedom, human dignity and justice are guaranteed, protected and promoted. Installed on June 7, 1993, the court is seen as the prote ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its population lives on the southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of and its population in was estimated to be approximately million. It is a tropical nation, dependent on agriculture, and is an exporter of palm oil and cotton. Some employment and income arise from subsistence farming. The official language of Benin is French, with indigenous languages such as Fon, Bariba, Yoruba and Dendi also spoken. The largest religious group in Benin is Sunni Islam (27 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Constitutionality
Constitutionality is said to be the condition of acting in accordance with an applicable constitution; "Webster On Line" the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or set forth in the applicable constitution. When laws, procedures, or acts directly violate the constitution, they are unconstitutional. All others are considered constitutional unless the country in question has a mechanism for challenging laws as unconstitutional. Applicability An act or statute enacted as law either by a national legislature or by a subordinate-level legislature such as that of a state or province may be declared unconstitutional. However, governments do not only create laws but also enforce the laws set forth in the document defining the government, which is the constitution. When the proper court determines that a legislative act or law conflicts with the constitution, it finds that law unconstitutional and declares it void in whole or in part. Depending on th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cotonou
Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The city lies in the southeast of the country, between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoué. In addition to being Benin's largest city, it is the seat of government, although Porto-Novo is the official capital. History The name "Cotonou" means "by the river of death" in the Fon language.Butler, Stuart (2019) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Benin'', pgs. 74-91 At the beginning of the 19th century, Cotonou (then spelled "Kutonou") was a small fishing village, and is thought to have been formally founded by King Ghezo of Dahomey in 1830. It grew as a centre for the slave trade, and later palm oil and cotton. In 1851 the French Second Republic made a treaty with King Ghezo that allowed them to establish a trading post at Cotonou. During the reign of King ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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People's Republic Of Benin
The People's Republic of Benin (french: République populaire du Bénin; sometimes translated as Benin Popular Republic or Popular Republic of Benin) was a socialist state located in the Gulf of Guinea on the African continent, which would become present-day Benin. The People's Republic was established on 30 November 1975, after the 1972 coup d'état in the Republic of Dahomey. It effectively lasted until 1 March 1990, with the adoption of a new constitution, and the abolition of Marxism–Leninism in the nation in 1989. History On 26 October 1972, the Armed Forces led by Commander Mathieu Kérékou overthrew the government in a coup d'état, suspended the constitution and dissolved both the National Assembly and the Presidential Council. On 30 November 1972, it released the keynote address of ''New Politics of National Independence''. The territorial administration was reformed, mayors and deputies replacing traditional structures (village chiefs, convents, animist priests, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Constitution Of Benin
The Constitution of Benin was adopted by referendum on 23 December 1956. The constitution is made up of a preamble, twelve titles, and 160 articles. Preamble (Preamble text comes from thEnglish translationof the Beninese Constitution via the Constitution Project Dahomey, proclaimed a Republic on December 4, 1958, acceded to international sovereignty August 1, 1960. Having become the People's Republic of Bénin on November 30, 1975, and then the Republic of Bénin on March 1, 1990, it has known a turbulent constitutional and political evolution since its accession to independence. Only the option in favor of the Republic has remained permanent. The successive changes of political regimes and of governments have not blunted the determination of the Béninese people to search for, in their own spirit, the cultural, philosophical and spiritual values of civilization which sustain the forms of their patriotism. Thus, the National Conference of Active Forces of the Nation, held in Cot ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Separation Of Powers
Separation of powers refers to the division of a state's government into branches, each with separate, independent powers and responsibilities, so that the powers of one branch are not in conflict with those of the other branches. The typical division is into three branches: a legislature, an executive, and a judiciary, which is sometimes called the model. It can be contrasted with the fusion of powers in parliamentary and semi-presidential systems where there can be overlap in membership and functions between different branches, especially the executive and legislative, although in most non-authoritarian jurisdictions, the judiciary almost never overlaps with the other branches, whether powers in the jurisdiction are separated or fused. The intention behind a system of separated powers is to prevent the concentration of power by providing for checks and balances. The separation of powers model is often imprecisely and metonymically used interchangeably with the ' principl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judicial and executive powers. In other parts of the world, such as China, a magistrate was responsible for administration over a particular geographic area. Today, in some jurisdictions, a magistrate is a judicial officer who hears cases in a lower court, and typically deals with more minor or preliminary matters. In other jurisdictions (e.g., England and Wales), magistrates are typically trained volunteers appointed to deal with criminal and civil matters in their local areas. Original meaning In ancient Rome, the word '' magistratus'' referred to one of the highest offices of state. Analogous offices in the local authorities, such as ''municipium'', were subordinate only to the legislature of which they generally were members, '' ex officio'' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Théodore Holo
Théodore Holo (born 15 April 1948) is a Beninese politician, academic, and judge. He was the foreign minister of Benin from 1991 to 1992. Born in Porto Novo and educated abroad, Holo taught at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration from 1979 to 1985. He accepted a professorship in international relations and constitutional law at the Université Nationale du Bénin in 1986. He simultaneously served as deputy director of the Ecole Nationale d'Administration and became the director in 1989. The following year, Holo was appointed deputy secretary;general of the Haut Conseil de la Republique du Benin, supervising multiparty elections in 1991. After being foreign minister, he was justice and international relations minister and spokesman for Nicephore Soglo's government. He returned to teaching in 1996 and earned the UNESCO Human Rights and Democracy chair of the Université d'Abomey-Calavi The University of Abomey-Calavi ''(french: Université d'Abomey-Calavi)'' is the principa ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Elisabeth Ekoué Pognon
Elisabeth Kayissan Ekoué Pognon (born 1937) is Benin's first female judge, first woman member of its supreme court, and the first woman to be elected president of its stand-alone constitutional court. Early life She was born Elisabeth Kayissan Ekoué (Pognon is her married name) in 1937. She was educated at secondary schools in Lomé, Togo, and Dakar, Senegal. She earned a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Poitiers in France, followed by a master's degree in law from the Panthéon-Assas University in Paris, in 1962. Career In 1965, Pognon joined the magistrature in Benin, becoming the country's first woman judge. After serving in the ordinary courts, she became president of the court of first instance in Cotonou, and later in the court of appeals and other high courts before becoming a judge in the administrative chamber of Benin's supreme court, and the first woman member of that court. In 1993, she became the first woman to be appointed as a judge to the new ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Robert Dossou
Robert Dossou (born 13 May 1939) is a Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...ese politician. He was the foreign minister of Benin from 1993 to 1995. References 1939 births Living people Foreign ministers of Benin Beninese judges Candidates for President of Benin {{Benin-politician-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ex Officio Oath
The ''ex officio'' oath developed in the first half of the 17th century (1600 to 1650), and was used as a form of coercion, persecution, and forcible self-incrimination in the religious trials of that era. It took the form of a religious oath made by the accused prior to questioning by the Star Chamber, to answer truthfully all questions that might be asked. It gave rise to what became known as the cruel trilemma where the accused would find themselves trapped between a breach of religious oath (taken extremely seriously in that era, a mortal sin, and perjury), contempt of court for silence, or self-incrimination. The name derives from the questioner putting the accused on oath ''ex officio'', meaning by virtue of his office or position. Outcry against this practice (particularly in the trials of John Lilburne ("Freeborn John") around 1630–1649) led to the establishment of the right to not incriminate oneself in common law. This was the direct precursor of similar rights in mode ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Indefinite Detention
Indefinite detention is the incarceration of an arrested person by a national government or law enforcement agency for an indefinite amount of time without a trial; the practice violates many national and international laws, including human rights laws. In recent years, governments have indefinitely incarcerated individuals suspected of terrorism, often in black sites, sometimes declaring them enemy combatants. Views Most nations of the world and human rights groups hold unfavorable views towards indefinite detention. Australia In 1994, indefinite detention was introduced for Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cambodian refugees; previous laws had imposed a 273-day limit. In 2004, the High Court of Australia ruled in the case ''Al-Kateb v Godwin'' that the indefinite detention of a stateless person is lawful.. China Human rights group claim a history of forced labour, arbitrary arrest and detention of minority groups, including: Falun Gong members, Tibetans, Muslim minorities, politic ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |