application was served on the Respondent State with a request to file its Response within a new time-limit of 60 days. 9. On 4 October 2018, the Respondent State filed its response and this was served on the Applicant for him to file a Reply within 30 days of receipt. On 18 November 2018, the Applicant filed his Reply, which was transmitted to the Respondent State. On 5 February 2019, the Respondent State informed the Registry that it did not intend to reply 10. On 25 July 2023, the Applicant transmitted a copy of Law 2021-13 of 20 December 2021 amending and supplementing Law No. 2002-07 of 24 August 2004 on the Individual and Family Code in the Republic of Benin (hereinafter the Law of 20 December 2021). 11. On 21 August 2023, the Registry transmitted the Law of 20 December 2021 to the Respondent State for its observations within twenty (20) days. However, the Respondent State did not respond. 12. Pleadings were closed on 26 February 2024 and the Parties were duly notified. IV. PRAYERS OF THE PARTIES 13. The Applicant prays the Court to: i. Find that the decisions of the Respondent State’s Constitutional Court are not binding on the Court, as the Court was established by an international instrument that is superior to domestic laws; ii. Consequently, find the Application admissible; iii. Find that Article 6 of the Individual and Family Code violates the principle of equality between men and women as established by the Charter, the Maputo Protocol, the CEDAW and the ICCPR; 4