"On se débrouille". How to be a good judge when the state lets you down

Over the last couple of years, Beninese magistrates have gone on multiple strikes. Most of them complain about their substantial workload, low pay, and poor working conditions. They also highlight the discrepancies between the magistrates’ social status and what their families expect from them. While there seems to be a professional malaise within the Beninese bench, judges and prosecutors also insist on the importance of their work and the ethics that goes together with it. This is why we will be looking at the discourses and representations of the social and professional status of Beninese judges. Why do young lawyers choose the path of being a magistrate over other legal careers? How do judges and prosecutors in the Republic of Benin balance professional ethos with practical work routine?