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 | DenmarkReviewed | KenyaReviewed | PanamaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (Nordic) | Mixed (common law, customary law, Islamic law) | Civil law |
| System of government | Constitutional monarchy | Unitary presidential republic with devolved counties | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitutional Act of Denmark (Grundloven) | Constitution of Kenya | Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama |
| In force since | 1953 | 2010 | 1972 |
| Capital | Copenhagen | Nairobi | Panama City |
| Official languages | Danish | English, Swahili | Spanish |
| Currency | Danish krone (DKK) | Kenyan Shilling (KES) | Balboa (US dollar in circulation) (PAB) |
| Population | 5,900,000 | 55,100,000 | 4,400,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary government in which the cabinet is drawn from and answerable to the Folketing, with an independent unified judiciary. | Presidential system with no Prime Minister, a bicameral Parliament of National Assembly and Senate, 47 county governments with their own assemblies and executives, and an independent judiciary supervised by the Judicial Service Commission. | Unitary, with ten provinces and five indigenous comarcas. The comarcas — Guna Yala, Emberá-Wounaan, Ngäbe-Buglé, Guna de Madugandí and Guna de Wargandí — hold recognised collective land title and internal authority. |
| 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. | Bills are read three times with committee scrutiny and public participation, which the courts treat as a justiciable requirement. Bills concerning counties must pass both chambers. The President assents or refers the bill back with reservations, which Parliament may override by two-thirds. | Bills receive three debates in the National Assembly. The President may object in whole or in part; the Assembly insists with a two-thirds vote, after which the President must promulgate unless the objection was constitutional, in which case the Supreme Court decides. |
| Legal profession | A single advokat profession admitted after a law degree, practical training and a bar course; judges are appointed from experienced lawyers. | Fused: an LLB, the Kenya School of Law advocates training programme, and admission by the Chief Justice produce an advocate of the High Court. The Law Society of Kenya is the professional body; Senior Counsel is the senior rank. | Practice requires a Panamanian law degree and a licence from the Supreme Court; the Colegio Nacional de Abogados is influential but membership is voluntary. Only Panamanian lawyers may appear in court, which is why offshore work is routinely structured through local counsel. |
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.