wherein fundamental human rights, public freedoms, dignity of the human being and justice are guaranteed, protected and espoused» and the commitment of Benin to the principles of democracy as defined by the regional and international legal instruments. The Constitution of Benin guarantees under Volume II, entitled «rights and responsibilities of the human person » (articles 8 to 40), respect, protection and promotion of: • Economic, social and cultural rights (articles 8, 10 to 14, 30 and 31). • Civil and political rights, (Article 8 paragraph 1, 15 to 26). • The right to development (Article 9) • The right to a sound environment (Articles 27 to 29) In a bid to give effect to these rights, all Beninese citizens are compelled to respect the established constitutional order as well as the laws and regulations of the Republic. (Article 33 to 39 of the Constitution). This normative framework bears testimony to the commitment of Benin to the principles of democracy and human rights as laid down in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). The provisions of this last instrument, the ACHPR are an integral part of the Constitution. In a bid to give effect to these principles, from 2000 to 2008, Benin submitted several bills before Parliament and ensured the adopted regulatory acts were brought into force: • The 27 August 2002 Judicial System Act n° 2001-37 of the Republic of Benin (cf. annex 1) sets forth, in articles 2 and 3, the principle of separation of powers and independence of the judicial authority, and provides for the establishment of twenty (20) second -4-