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 | RussiaReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Islamic law | Civil law |
| System of government | Taliban administration; no promulgated constitution | Federal semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | No constitution in force; 2004 Constitution suspended in practice | Constitution of the Russian Federation |
| In force since | 2004 | 1993 |
| Capital | Kabul | Moscow |
| Official languages | Pashto, Dari | Russian |
| Currency | Afghan afghani (AFN) | Russian rouble (RUB) |
| Population | 42,200,000 | 144,000,000 |
| 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. | Federal and semi-presidential: the President is a distinct branch-transcending office with wide appointment and decree powers, and since 2020 may initiate the removal of senior judges through the Federation Council. |
| 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 pass three readings in the State Duma, go to the Federation Council, and are signed by the President; a veto is overridden by two-thirds of each chamber. Since 2020 the President may refer an adopted bill to the Constitutional Court before signing. |
| 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. | Advocates (ะฐะดะฒะพะบะฐัั) are admitted by regional chambers under the Federal Chamber of Advocates and hold the exclusive right to defend in criminal cases; other litigation may be conducted by non-advocate representatives. |
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 โ the constitutional detail behind a one-line summary is often the part that governs the outcome.