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
Clear selectionAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzechiaDR CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHoly See (Vatican City)HondurasHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of the CongoRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaSão Tomé and PrÃncipeTajikistanTanzaniaThailandThe BahamasTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabwe
| Attribute | DenmarkReviewed | Holy See (Vatican City)Reviewed | MaltaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (Nordic) | Canon law and civil law | Mixed (civil and common law) |
| System of government | Constitutional monarchy | Ecclesiastical elective absolute monarchy | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitutional Act of Denmark (Grundloven) | Fundamental Law of Vatican City State | Constitution of Malta |
| In force since | 1953 | 2023 | 1964 |
| Capital | Copenhagen | Vatican City | Valletta |
| Official languages | Danish | Italian, Latin | Maltese, English |
| Currency | Danish krone (DKK) | Euro (EUR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 5,900,000 | 800 | 540,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary government in which the cabinet is drawn from and answerable to the Folketing, with an independent unified judiciary. | Power is concentrated in the Supreme Pontiff, exercised through the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (legislative), the Governorate (executive) and the Vatican tribunals (judicial). | A parliamentary republic with a ceremonial President, a Cabinet led by the Prime Minister answerable to the House of Representatives and an independent judiciary. |
| How law is made | Bills pass three readings in the Folketing and receive royal assent. A minority of members can require certain bills to be put to a referendum. | Laws are prepared by the Pontifical Commission and take effect with the Pope’s approval, published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis supplement. | Bills are passed by the House of Representatives and assented to by the President before publication in the Government Gazette. |
| Legal profession | A single advokat profession admitted after a law degree, practical training and a bar course; judges are appointed from experienced lawyers. | Advocates are enrolled with the Vatican tribunals; canon lawyers (canonists) practise before ecclesiastical courts. | Advocates are admitted to the bar after a law degree and warrant; legal procurators and notaries handle procedural filing and authentication of deeds. |
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.