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 | Cape VerdeReviewed | El SalvadorReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (Portuguese tradition) | Civil law |
| System of government | Unitary semi-presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Cabo Verde | Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador |
| In force since | 1992 | 1983 |
| Capital | Praia | San Salvador |
| Official languages | Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole | Spanish |
| Currency | Cape Verdean Escudo (CVE) | US dollar (USD) |
| Population | 600,000 | 6,300,000 |
| Division of powers | Semi-presidential: a directly elected President with limited powers, a Prime Minister accountable to the National Assembly, and an independent judiciary with a separate Constitutional Court. | Unitary, with 14 departments. A 2023 reform cut municipalities from 262 to 44 and the Legislative Assembly from 84 seats to 60. |
| How law is made | Bills are debated in general and in detail by the National Assembly, voted, then sent to the President for promulgation. The President may veto or request prior constitutional review by the Constitutional Court. | A bill is approved by simple majority of elected deputies unless a qualified majority is specified. The President may veto or return a bill as unconstitutional; if the Assembly insists by two-thirds and the President still objects on constitutional grounds, the Supreme Court decides. |
| Legal profession | Advogados admitted through the Ordem dos Advogados after a law degree and traineeship; notaries and registrars form separate careers on the Portuguese model. | The Supreme Court itself authorises the exercise of the profession and holds disciplinary power, so a lawyer's licence can be suspended by the court rather than by a bar. Notarial function is granted separately, also by the Supreme Court. |
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.