instance courts and two Appeals Courts (one in the centre and the other in the North) in addition to the existing ones in a bid to bring justice to the doorsteps of the justiciable persons. • Statutes of the Beninese Bench Act n° 2001-35 dated 21st February 2003; • Act n° 2002-07 dated 24th August 2004 on the Persons and Family Code which put an end to the legal dualism whereby modern and customary law were applied depending on the circumstances; • Act n° 2003-03 dated 03 march 2003 repressing female genital mutilation in the Republic of Benin ; • Act n° 2003-04 dated 03 March 2003 on sexual and reproductive health. 2. Laws regulations and general principles of the law • Act n°98-030 dated 12 February 1999 pertaining to the framework law on the environment of the Republic of Benin; • Inter-ministerial decree n°132 dated 07 November 2000 pertaining to the minimum age for different categories of child labour. • Act n° 2003-17 dated 11 November 2003 on the orientation of National Education in the Republic of Benin ; • Act n°2006-04 dated 05 April 2006 pertaining to the conditions governing movement of minors and repression of child trafficking in the Republic of Benin ; • Act n°2006-31 dated 05 April pertaining to prevention and management of HIV/AIDS and control of the latter; • Act n°2005-30 dated 10 April 2006 relating to the protection of copyright and neighbouring rights in the Republic of Benin; • Act n°2006-19 dated 17th July 2006 pertaining to the repression of sexual harassment and protection of victims. -5-