Clotilde Aniouvi Medegan, President of the High Court of Benin

Mrs Clotilde MEDEGAN NOUGBODE was born on 29 march 1953 at Adjohoun in the Department of  Ouémé, Republic of Benin.

After earning her Master’s Degree in Legal Studies (1997) at the National University of Benin, she enrolled as professional student at the Center for Administrative Training and Improvement of Benin, specializing as magistrate. She completed her professional training at the Ecole Nationale de Magistrature in Paris (France; 1979-1980).

Back to her country, she embarked on a career as magistrate in the low courts in which she occupied various positions until 1994. That year she was appointed Legal Technical Advisor, and later on Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Justice and Legislation.

During her time in office Mrs Clotilde MEDEGAN NOUGBODE showed great commitment to the emancipation of Beninese women as they are particularly vulnerable owing to their weak social status which is characterized by illetracy, economic precariousness, and subjection to male domination, what she believes to be the fundamental challenge of our generation. She was founder of the Benin Association of Law Practitioning Women (AFJB), a non profit organization. Its mandate is to rise their awareness regarding their rights and provide them with appropriate legal assistance. She chaired that association from December 2000 to January 2004 after having occupied key positions during eight (08) years. As member of the working group entrusted with writing the Legal Guide of Beninese Women, she contributed to the empowerment of the legal status of women in Benin. She also served as reporter of the workshop of the first draft on the Code of Persons and Family. With the support of a group of NGOs and her association, she lobbied the National Assembly to pressure that Institution into passing the Code. In her quality as member of the Constitutionnal court, she was instrumental – she and the other members of the Court – in setting the issue of the legal standing of polygamy, an issue that has provoked a hot controversy in this country.

Mrs Clotilde MEDEGAN NOUGBODE’s commitment to the cause of the woman during her membership in various associations, her career as magistrate in both the low and high Courts – (Supreme Court, 1997-1998), Constitutional Court (1996 to date), High Court of Justice (2001 to date) - and at the Ministry of Justice and Legislation (1994-1996) make of her a competent and experienced person in the field of women’s and children’s rights in both constitutional law and in democratic elections.

She was elected, since December 2004, by the 12 others members of the High Court of Justice as President of that Court, the first woman ever to hold that position. As such she is today one of the most renowned figures in Benin judiciary because of the attributions of that High Court competent to judge the President of the Republic and the members of the Government and also due to the social context particularly marked by the people’s will and the determination of the current government to establish good governance and to fight against corruption and impunity in the country.

Mrs Clotilde MEDEGAN NOUGBODE has good speaking and reading abilities in English.

She has two daughters.

Cotonou, September 05, 2006.