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 | Ivory CoastReviewed | United Arab EmiratesReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (French tradition) | Mixed (civil law and Islamic law, with common-law financial free zones) |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Federal elective monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Third Republic | Constitution of the United Arab Emirates |
| In force since | 2016 | 1971 |
| Capital | Yamoussoukro | Abu Dhabi |
| Official languages | French, Baoulé, Dioula | Arabic |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) | UAE dirham (AED) |
| Population | 28,900,000 | 10,500,000 |
| Division of powers | Presidential system with a Vice-President and Prime Minister, a bicameral Parliament of National Assembly and Senate, and a judiciary headed by the Cour de cassation, Conseil d'État and Cour des comptes after the 2018 reorganisation. | Federal, and asymmetric in practice. Seven emirates, of which Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah maintain their own separate local court systems outside the federal judiciary entirely, while the others are integrated into it. Each emirate legislates in its own sphere, and the two financial free zones are separate legal jurisdictions with civil and commercial competence. |
| How law is made | Government or parliamentary bills pass committee and plenary in both chambers; the National Assembly prevails after a failed conciliation. The President promulgates or refers the text for constitutional review. | Draft federal legislation is prepared by the Council of Ministers, reviewed by the Federal National Council, approved by the Supreme Council of Rulers and ratified by the President before publication in the Official Gazette. The Federal National Council may propose amendments but the Supreme Council may enact legislation over its objection. Much regulation now issues as federal decree-laws. Free-zone legislation is enacted by the DIFC and ADGM authorities under their own procedures. |
| Legal profession | Avocats admitted through the Barreau de Côte d'Ivoire; notaires, huissiers and commissaires-priseurs are separate ministerial officers. | Onshore advocacy before the federal and local courts is reserved to UAE nationals licensed by the Ministry of Justice, with foreign lawyers practising as legal consultants; pleadings onshore must be in Arabic. The DIFC and ADGM courts, by contrast, admit registered practitioners from any common-law jurisdiction and conduct proceedings in English, which is the principal practical reason parties opt into them. Notarisation before a public notary is required for powers of attorney, share transfers and real property dispositions. |
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.