Benin

Benin became independent of France on 1 August 1960. Military governments ended in 1972 with the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989, and free elections were held in 1991.

Benin has a Fench civil law system with some customary law.

Benin has a constitution dating from 1990 which has provisions providing that any person accused of an unlawful act shall be presumed innocent until his culpability has been legally established in the course of a public lawsuit during which all guarantees necessary to his free defence shall have been assured to him; and that no one shall be submitted to torture, nor to maltreatment, nor to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.

A comprehensive listing of the laws of Benin in English is not available online.