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 | AustraliaReviewed | DenmarkReviewed | ChileReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Common law | Civil law (Nordic) | Civil law |
| System of government | Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Constitutional monarchy | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act | Constitutional Act of Denmark (Grundloven) | Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile |
| In force since | 1901 | 1953 | 1980 |
| Capital | Canberra | Copenhagen | Santiago |
| Official languages | English | Danish | Spanish |
| Currency | Australian Dollar (AUD) | Danish krone (DKK) | Chilean peso (CLP) |
| Population | 26,800,000 | 5,900,000 | 19,600,000 |
| Division of powers | Chapter III strictly separates federal judicial power; the High Court polices the boundary and may invalidate legislation for exceeding it. | Parliamentary government in which the cabinet is drawn from and answerable to the Folketing, with an independent unified judiciary. | Unitary. Sixteen regions administer but do not legislate. Regional governors have been directly elected since 2021, which shifted real power away from the centrally appointed delegates, but legislative competence remains exclusively national. |
| How law is made | Bills pass both chambers and receive Royal Assent. A persistent deadlock can trigger a double dissolution and, ultimately, a joint sitting. | Bills pass three readings in the Folketing and receive royal assent. A minority of members can require certain bills to be put to a referendum. | Bills originate with the President or in either chamber, though tax, budget and social-security bills are the President's exclusive initiative — an unusually strong executive agenda power. Both chambers must approve; a mixed committee resolves conflict. The President may veto, overridden by two-thirds. Constitutional amendment needs four-sevenths of sitting members, with two-thirds for certain entrenched chapters. |
| Legal profession | Admission is state-based but nationally recognised; practitioners may be admitted as barristers and solicitors, with an independent bar in most states. | A single advokat profession admitted after a law degree, practical training and a bar course; judges are appointed from experienced lawyers. | A five-year degree, a supervised practice period, and admission by the Supreme Court itself, which is unusual — the Court, not a bar, confers the title of abogado. Membership of the Colegio de Abogados has been voluntary since 1981, so the Court retains disciplinary jurisdiction over misconduct. |
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.