Objectives:
The 2020 law was not a general framework; it was a specific act with a singular objective: to authorise the transfer of ownership of 26 specific objects to Benin and 1 specific object to Senegal from French national collections.
Restitution Measures:
The 2020 Law on the Return of Cultural Property to Benin and Senegal enabled France to transfer ownership of 26 regalia items from Abomey to Benin and one sabre to Senegal. This was characterised as a “law of exception” returning only items chosen by France, highlighting its limited scope.
Framework Limitations:
The law functioned as a “law of exception” (loi d’exception), bypassing France’s principle of the inalienability of national collections to allow these specific returns. This law was a one-off political act, not a permanent legal framework for restitution. The initiative was highly selective and state-controlled, failing to create a transparent process for other nations or communities to submit claims.
