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 | AustriaReviewed | Equatorial GuineaIndexed | SudanIndexed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Civil law (Spanish tradition) | Mixed Islamic and common law |
| System of government | Federal parliamentary republic | Unitary presidential republic | Military government following the 2021 coup and 2023 war |
| Constitution | Bundes-Verfassungsgesetz (B-VG) | Fundamental Law of Equatorial Guinea | Draft Constitutional Charter for the Transitional Period |
| In force since | 1920 | 1991 | 2019 |
| Capital | Vienna | Malabo | Khartoum |
| Official languages | German | Spanish, French, Portuguese | Arabic, English |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | Sudanese pound (SDG) |
| Population | 9,100,000 | 1,700,000 | 48,100,000 |
| Division of powers | Nine Länder hold their own constitutions, parliaments and governments, but the federation retains far more legislative power than in Germany or Switzerland; much Länder activity is administering federal law (mittelbare Bundesverwaltung). Three separate high courts sit at the apex, for constitutional, administrative and ordinary matters respectively. | Presidential system with a Vice-President and Prime Minister, a bicameral Parliament of Chamber of Deputies and Senate, and a judiciary headed by the Supreme Court of Justice. | Formally federal, with states headed by governors. The Juba Peace Agreement of 2020 contemplated regional arrangements for Darfur and the Two Areas. Effective authority is currently divided between the belligerents and varies by locality. |
| How law is made | Bills originate with the government, members of the Nationalrat, the Bundesrat or a popular initiative, and pass three readings in the Nationalrat. The Bundesrat may object but can normally be overridden. The Federal President authenticates the law, the Chancellor countersigns, and it is published in the Bundesgesetzblatt. | Bills pass the Chamber of Deputies and Senate and are promulgated by the President, who may return a text for reconsideration. | The Charter assigned legislation to a joint sitting of the Sovereignty Council and the cabinet pending the formation of a legislative council, which never fully happened. Since 2021 instruments have been issued by decree. There is no verifiable ordinary legislative process at present, which is why this profile is marked as requiring research. |
| Legal profession | A Rechtsanwalt qualifies through a law degree, five years of practical training including at least three in a law firm and some months at court, and the bar examination. Admission is via the regional bar chambers under the umbrella of the Österreichischer Rechtsanwaltskammertag. Notaries are a separate profession with appointments limited in number. | Abogados admitted through the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados; practice requires competence in both Spanish codes and French-language OHADA texts. | Advocates are admitted through the Sudanese Bar Association, and the profession — particularly the Sudanese Professionals Association and the emergency lawyers' groups — was central to the 2019 protest movement and to documenting subsequent abuses. Judges are career appointments through the Judicial Service Commission. Current admission practice and numbers cannot be reliably confirmed. |
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.