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 | Bosnia and HerzegovinaReviewed | MadagascarReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | French civil law with customary law |
| System of government | Federal parliamentary republic | Semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Dayton Annex 4) | Constitution of the Fourth Republic |
| In force since | 1995 | 2010 |
| Capital | Sarajevo | Antananarivo |
| Official languages | Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian | Malagasy, French |
| Currency | Convertible mark (BAM) | Malagasy ariary (MGA) |
| Population | 3,200,000 | 30,300,000 |
| Division of powers | A three-member Presidency and Council of Ministers at state level share power with two autonomous entities and the Brฤko District, each with their own legislatures and courts, under a Constitutional Court. | Unitary with a decentralised structure of 23 regions and communes. Successive constitutions have promised fuller decentralisation, including provincial autonomy, which has not been implemented. |
| How law is made | State laws require approval of both houses of the Parliamentary Assembly with entity-vote safeguards, while most everyday law is made at entity level. | Bills originate with the government or members of either chamber, are examined in committee, and must pass both the National Assembly and the Senate; the Assembly prevails on disagreement. The Haute Cour Constitutionnelle may review a law before promulgation, and organic laws must be referred to it as a matter of course. |
| Legal profession | Advokati/odvjetnici belong to entity bar associations; notaries handle deeds and company acts under entity notary laws. | Avocats admitted to the Ordre des avocats de Madagascar after a law degree and professional training, alongside notaires for authenticated instruments and huissiers for service and enforcement โ the standard French division of functions. |
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.