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 PríncipeTajikistanTanzaniaThailandThe BahamasTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabwe
| Attribute | El SalvadorReviewed | IcelandReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Civil law (Nordic) |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador | Constitution of the Republic of Iceland |
| In force since | 1983 | 1944 |
| Capital | San Salvador | Reykjavík |
| Official languages | Spanish | Icelandic |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | Icelandic króna (ISK) |
| Population | 6,300,000 | 390,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary, with 14 departments. A 2023 reform cut municipalities from 262 to 44 and the Legislative Assembly from 84 seats to 60. | Parliamentary government with a directly elected President who holds a suspensive veto that can trigger a referendum, and an independent three-tier judiciary. |
| How law is made | A bill is approved by simple majority of elected deputies unless a qualified majority is specified. The President may veto or return a bill as unconstitutional; if the Assembly insists by two-thirds and the President still objects on constitutional grounds, the Supreme Court decides. | Bills pass three readings in the Althingi and are signed into law; if the President withholds signature the act still takes effect but must be put to a referendum. |
| Legal profession | The Supreme Court itself authorises the exercise of the profession and holds disciplinary power, so a lawyer's licence can be suspended by the court rather than by a bar. Notarial function is granted separately, also by the Supreme Court. | Lawyers qualify through a law degree and practical requirements; rights of audience are tiered from district court up to the Supreme Court. |
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.