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 | CameroonReviewed | MexicoReviewed | PeruReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed (civil law and common law) | Civil law | Civil law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Federal presidential republic | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon | Political Constitution of the United Mexican States | Political Constitution of Peru |
| In force since | 1972 | 1917 | 1993 |
| Capital | Yaoundรฉ | Mexico City | Lima |
| Official languages | French, English | Spanish, Nahuatl, Yucatec Maya | Spanish, Quechua, Aymara |
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | Mexican peso (MXN) | Peruvian sol (PEN) |
| Population | 28,600,000 | 130,000,000 | 34,000,000 |
| Division of powers | A strongly presidential system with a bicameral Parliament of National Assembly and Senate, and a judiciary in which the Supreme Court sits above separate common-law and civil-law appellate structures. | Federal. Powers not expressly granted to the union are reserved to the 32 states (Article 124). States run their own civil, family and criminal-enforcement codes, but criminal procedure, labour and commercial law were federalised to produce single national codes. | Unitary and decentralised, with twenty-five regional governments and the Lima Metropolitan Municipality holding elected councils and administrative competence. Peasant and native communities exercise jurisdiction within their territory under Article 149 in coordination with the justices of the peace. |
| How law is made | Bills pass committee and plenary in the National Assembly and are transmitted to the Senate; disagreement is resolved by a joint commission or a second Assembly vote. The President promulgates or may seek constitutional review. | Bills may be introduced by the President, either chamber, state legislatures or by citizens with 0.13% of the electoral roll. Both chambers must pass an identical text; the President may veto, and Congress overrides with two-thirds of each chamber. Constitutional amendments need two-thirds of Congress plus a majority of state legislatures (Article 135). | Bills come from Congress, the executive, regional governments or citizens. A single chamber debates in committee and plenary; a second vote is required unless exempted. The President may observe a bill, and Congress insists by absolute majority. Constitutional amendment needs an absolute majority in two successive ordinary legislatures, or a two-thirds vote plus referendum. |
| Legal profession | A single bar for both legal zones: advocates admitted to the Cameroon Bar Association may practise in common-law and civil-law courts alike, which makes bilingual competence a practical necessity. | A law degree plus a cรฉdula profesional from the Education Ministry licenses practice; there is no compulsory bar examination or single mandatory bar, which distinguishes Mexico from most of the region. Notaries public are a separate, strictly limited state-appointed profession with exclusive competence over real estate and company deeds. | A law degree followed by a bachiller and tรญtulo de abogado, then compulsory registration with one of the departmental colegios de abogados, which hold disciplinary power. Registration in one college permits practice nationwide. Notaries are a separate profession appointed by competitive examination. |
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.