Comparison
Read two legal systems against each other
Because every portal follows the same fifteen-section outline, the comparison is genuinely like-for-like rather than a collage of whatever each government happens to publish.
Select up to six documented jurisdictions
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| Attribute | AfghanistanReviewed | Cape VerdeReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Islamic law | Civil law (Portuguese tradition) |
| System of government | Taliban administration; no promulgated constitution | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | No constitution in force; 2004 Constitution suspended in practice | Constitution of the Republic of Cabo Verde |
| In force since | 2004 | 1992 |
| Capital | Kabul | Praia |
| Official languages | Pashto, Dari | Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole |
| Currency | Afghan afghani (AFN) | Cape Verdean Escudo (CVE) |
| Population | 42,200,000 | 600,000 |
| Division of powers | Centralised. 34 provinces are administered by appointed governors reporting to the central administration, with authority concentrated in the Amir and the leadership based in Kandahar. Elected provincial and district councils established under the 2004 Constitution no longer function. | Semi-presidential: a directly elected President with limited powers, a Prime Minister accountable to the National Assembly, and an independent judiciary with a separate Constitutional Court. |
| How law is made | There is no legislature in session and no published bill procedure. Rules take effect through decrees and ministerial instructions attributed to the Amir or the cabinet, publicised by announcement rather than through a functioning official gazette process. | Bills are debated in general and in detail by the National Assembly, voted, then sent to the President for promulgation. The President may veto or request prior constitutional review by the Constitutional Court. |
| Legal profession | The Afghanistan Independent Bar Association, established in 2008 and which had licensed several thousand advocates including many women, was taken over by the Ministry of Justice in November 2021 and its independent regulatory role ended. Licensing now runs through the ministry. Many practitioners have left the country or ceased practice, and women's ability to appear as advocates or to work as judges has been curtailed. | Advogados admitted through the Ordem dos Advogados after a law degree and traineeship; notaries and registrars form separate careers on the Portuguese model. |
A comparison table flattens nuance by design. Where a difference matters to a decision you are making, open both portals and read the section in full — the constitutional detail behind a one-line summary is often the part that governs the outcome.