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.
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| Attribute | BrazilReviewed | KiribatiReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Common law with customary law |
| System of government | Federal presidential republic | Presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil | Constitution of Kiribati |
| In force since | 1988 | 1979 |
| Capital | Brasília | South Tarawa |
| Official languages | Portuguese | Gilbertese, English |
| Currency | Brazilian Real (BRL) | Australian dollar (AUD) |
| Population | 217,000,000 | 133,000 |
| Division of powers | Presidentialism with a bicameral Congress and an assertive judiciary; the STF hears direct actions of unconstitutionality brought by defined institutional applicants. | Unitary with statutory island councils. The Local Government Act gives each inhabited island a council with bylaw-making powers, and on most islands the traditional maneaba (meeting house assembly) remains the real forum for community decisions. Banaba (Ocean Island) has a distinct status reflecting the displacement of the Banaban community to Rabi in Fiji, with reserved representation in the Maneaba. |
| How law is made | Bills pass both chambers, with the initiating chamber reviewing amendments; the President may veto in whole or part, and Congress may override in joint session. | Bills receive three readings in the single chamber and are assented to by the Beretitenti. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority of all members, and amendments affecting Banaban land rights or the Banaban representative additionally require the support of the Rabi Council of Leaders — a rare example of a minority community holding a constitutional veto. |
| Legal profession | Law graduates must pass the OAB examination; membership of the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil is mandatory to practise. | A small fused profession admitted by the High Court under the Legal Practitioners Ordinance. Many practitioners are in government service, and the People's Lawyer's office carries most private client work. Because the Court of Appeal is non-resident, appellate hearings are grouped into sittings when judges travel to Tarawa. |
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.