The Special Court created in Benin to deal with land matters or disputes related to real estate, starts its activities. Installed in his functions on Tuesday April 04, the president of the jurisdiction will collaborate with the CRIET.
It is a court that the Beninese authorities want to see put an end to land insecurity in Benin. “There is a real scourge of land insecurity in our country”assured Séverin Maxime Quenum, Minister of Justice when Victor Fatinde, the very first president of the Special Court of Land Affairs, took office.
Séverin Maxime Quenum continues that this land mafia finds its origin “in the absence of a coherent legal land regime capable of ensuring the patrimoniality of land rights over time”. Hence the creation of this judicial body to settle disputes generated by real estate actions and hear actions relating to expropriation for public utility.
Based in Cotonou, this specialized court is competent to judge land crimes committed in the communes of Abomey-Calavi, Allada, Cotonou, Ouidah, Porto-Novo, Sèmè-Podji and Tori-Bossito according to the Beninese executive.
Cooperation between Land Affairs and CRIET
“The Court has an obligation of result because it carries the hopes of millions of Beninese”said Séverin Maxime Quenum to the president of the Court of Land Affairs.
To succeed, the law of 19 October 2022 creating the Special Court for Land Affairs provides for collaboration between the specialized jurisdiction and the Court for the Suppression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism (CRIET). In its article 7, the law indicates that “the special prosecutor’s office at the Court for the repression of economic offenses and terrorism exercises the functions of the public prosecutor at the Special Court of Land Affairs”.
Clear, “the prosecution of offenses within the territorial jurisdiction of the Special Court of Land Affairs falls within the jurisdiction of the special prosecutor’s office of CRIET”specifies Gérard Onésime Madode, Attorney General at the Supreme Court.
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