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.
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| Attribute | DenmarkReviewed | MaldivesReviewed | MaltaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (Nordic) | Mixed Islamic and common law | Mixed (civil and common law) |
| System of government | Constitutional monarchy | Presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitutional Act of Denmark (Grundloven) | Constitution of the Republic of Maldives | Constitution of Malta |
| In force since | 1953 | 2008 | 1964 |
| Capital | Copenhagen | Malé | Valletta |
| Official languages | Danish | Dhivehi | Maltese, English |
| Currency | Danish krone (DKK) | Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 5,900,000 | 521,000 | 540,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary government in which the cabinet is drawn from and answerable to the Folketing, with an independent unified judiciary. | Unitary with a decentralised layer under the Decentralisation Act 2010: 21 atolls with elected atoll councils, plus island and city councils. Councils have limited revenue-raising and service delivery functions; the geography of roughly 190 inhabited islands makes administrative decentralisation a practical necessity rather than a constitutional division of sovereignty. | 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. | Bills pass the Majlis by simple majority and go to the President, who may assent or return the bill once; a second passage requires assent. The Attorney General advises on constitutionality, and the Supreme Court may rule on it after enactment. Constitutional amendments need a two-thirds majority, and amendments to specified provisions also require a public referendum. | 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. | Lawyers are licensed and regulated by the Maldives Bar Council, established under the Legal Profession Act 2019 — before which licensing sat with the Attorney General's office and then the Department of Judicial Administration. A recognised law degree, the Bar examination and a period of training are required, and licences are tiered by the level of court in which the lawyer may appear. | 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.