"On se débrouille", or how to be a good judge when the state lets you down?

Over the last couple of years, Beninese magistrates have been on strike for months in a row. In 2012, it was about the Ministry of justice implying corruption issues. In 2013, it was about independence and fear of political infringement. In 2014, it was about the most recent appointments. When it comes to judges from the bench, most of them complain about their substantial workload, low pay and poor working conditions. They also highlight the discrepancies between the magistrate’s social status and what their families expect from them, the standards of living that people assume that they have. In short, there seems to be a professional malaise within the Beninese bench, who feel like the state is letting them down, yet judges also insist on the importance of their work, and of doing it right.
This is why, for the purpose of this paper, we will be looking at the discourses and representations of Beninese judges on their own social and professional status. What does it mean to be a judge in Benin today? Why do young lawyers choose that professional path over other legal careers? How do they ‘do their job right’ and what are the obstacles to it? Considering both age and gender, we are also trying to look at what it means to be a civil servant today, when the state is no longer the only – or the most promising – employer for legal practitioners.