Family
Code des personnes et de la famille 2004, which abolished polygamy prospectively
Loi n° 2002-07, in force 2004, replaced customary family law with a single code. It abolished polygamy for marriages contracted after entry into force, set the marriage age at 18 for both sexes, and equalised inheritance between sons and daughters — reversing customary rules that excluded women.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The Tribunal de première instance sits in family matters; customary courts were abolished by the 2004 Code.
- Deadline — Birth registration: 10 days, extendable by judicial declaration
- Deadline — Divorce by mutual consent: judicial confirmation after a reflection period
Governing law
- Loi n° 2002-07 du 24 août 2004 portant Code des personnes et de la famille
- Loi n° 2021-11 relative à la santé sexuelle et de la reproduction
In practice
The 2004 Code is one of the more decisive family-law reforms in the region because it did not attempt to codify custom alongside statute — it displaced it. Polygamous marriages predating 2004 remain valid, so two regimes coexist by cohort rather than by community, and practitioners must establish the date of marriage before advising on succession.