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 | BrazilReviewed | LithuaniaReviewed | UruguayReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal familyIdentical | Civil law | Civil law | Civil law |
| System of government | Federal presidential republic | Unitary semi-presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil | Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania | Constitution of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay |
| In force since | 1988 | 1992 | 1967 |
| Capital | Brasília | Vilnius | Montevideo |
| Official languages | Portuguese | Lithuanian | Spanish |
| Currency | Brazilian Real (BRL) | Euro (EUR) | Uruguayan peso (UYU) |
| Population | 217,000,000 | 2,860,000 | 3,400,000 |
| Division of powers | Presidentialism with a bicameral Congress and an assertive judiciary; the STF hears direct actions of unconstitutionality brought by defined institutional applicants. | Semi-presidential government with a directly elected President focused on foreign and security policy, a Government answerable to the Seimas, and a separate Constitutional Court. | Unitary. Nineteen departments have elected intendentes and juntas with administrative and local taxing competence, and municipalities were added in 2010, but all legislative power belongs to the General Assembly. |
| 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 are adopted by the Seimas and signed by the President, who may veto and return a bill for reconsideration. | Bills pass both chambers; disagreement is resolved by the General Assembly sitting jointly. The executive may veto, overcome by three-fifths of the joint assembly. Distinctively, 25% of registered voters can force a referendum to repeal a statute within one year of promulgation, and 10% can initiate a constitutional plebiscite. |
| Legal profession | Law graduates must pass the OAB examination; membership of the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil is mandatory to practise. | Advocates belong to the Lithuanian Bar Association; notaries handle property, company and succession formalities. | A degree from the Universidad de la República or an accredited private faculty confers the title of abogado, with registration by the Supreme Court. Membership of the Colegio de Abogados del Uruguay is voluntary; the Supreme Court exercises discipline. Escribanos públicos are a separate profession with exclusive competence over conveyancing. |
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.