To this non exhaustive list, we would add bills pending adoption before the National Assembly, namely : • Draft Penal Code; • Draft bill on press freedom with an important innovation: the decriminalization of breach of press laws; and • The money laundering and illegal enrichment bill. In addition to these bills, the abundant jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court which is responsible for ensuring respect for human rights and individual freedoms, registering cases of violations, monitoring the constitutionality of laws and regulations prejudicial to human rights, also contributes to the consolidation of Beninese democracy. To wit, from 2000 to 2006, the Constitutional Court passed 18 rulings against police and gendarmerie officers (Annex II) for violations of the provisions of article 19 of the Constitution and declared : ‘’The Court in the case of Gaston Bagbonou and co, all police officers of the Criminal Investment Division passed a landmark ruling to enshrine access to the right to compensation for victims of violations of fundamental rights (DCC 021-052 of 31 March, 2002).” This jurisprudence of the Court marks a paradigm shift in case law in the area of human rights protection in Benin. Henceforth, all justiciable persons whose rights have been violated and who obtain such a decision shall be entitled to compel the judicial judge seized to rule on the amount of reparation. -6-