Benin: the 7th mandate of the Constitutional Court installed, Dorothé Sossa elected president

2023-06-06 12:06:19

A new page opens at the Constitutional Court on June 6, 2023 with the entry into office of the institution’s 7th term. The new members of the Court were sworn in today during a ceremony held at the Palais de la Marina, in front of the President of the Republic and the office of the National Assembly.

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UPDATE 11:30 a.m.: A press release signed by the Secretary-General of the Court announces the election of Dorothe Sossa as President of the Constitutional Court. The Vice President is Nicholas Assogba.

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Despite the protests of the parliamentary opposition against their appointment, the 4 councilors appointed by the bureau of parliament and the 3 chosen by the Head of State have all taken an oath to sit on the Constitutional Court for the next 5 years. In turn, Vincent Acakpo, Michel Adjaka, Nicolas Assogba, Aleyya Gouda Bako, Dandi Gnamou, Mathieu Adjovi and Dorothée Sossa have, with raised right hand, sworn to fulfill their functions in accordance with the Constitution. They faced standing, President Talon surrounded by members of the office of the National Assembly.

The brief ceremony continued with the reception of the oath by the President of the Republic. Patrice Talon did not make a speech. “We have no doubt that will assume it [la charge de conseiller] with responsibility and honor”, declared the President of the Republic to the place of the 7 sages whom he sent back to their mission.

Who to lead the Court?

After their installation, the new members of the Constitutional Court will meet at the headquarters of the institution, in Cotonou, for their first plenary, that of the election of the bureau. The name of the President or the President of the Court should soon be known.

According to the Constitution, the Court elects its president from among jurists and magistrates. In this case, these men and women of law are on the one hand Dorothée Sossa and Dandi Gnamou, both associate professors of law, the first of private law and the second of public law; and on the other hand Michel Adjaka, Aleyya Gouda Bako and Nicolas Assogba, all three magistrates. In 2018, the advisers of the 6th term of office had chosen a law professor, Joseph Djogbénou, before he was replaced 4 years later, following his resignation, by the magistrate Razaki Amouda Issifou.