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 | Equatorial GuineaIndexed | MaltaReviewed | SpainReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (Spanish tradition) | Mixed (civil and common law) | Civil law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Fundamental Law of Equatorial Guinea | Constitution of Malta | Spanish Constitution |
| In force since | 1991 | 1964 | 1978 |
| Capital | Malabo | Valletta | Madrid |
| Official languages | Spanish, French, Portuguese | Maltese, English | Spanish |
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | Euro (EUR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 1,700,000 | 540,000 | 48,400,000 |
| Division of powers | Presidential system with a Vice-President and Prime Minister, a bicameral Parliament of Chamber of Deputies and Senate, and a judiciary headed by the Supreme Court of Justice. | A parliamentary republic with a ceremonial President, a Cabinet led by the Prime Minister answerable to the House of Representatives and an independent judiciary. | A constitutional monarchy with the King as head of state, an executive led by the President of the Government, a bicameral parliament and an independent judiciary, overlaid by extensive regional self-government. |
| How law is made | Bills pass the Chamber of Deputies and Senate and are promulgated by the President, who may return a text for reconsideration. | Bills are passed by the House of Representatives and assented to by the President before publication in the Government Gazette. | Bills pass both chambers of the Cortes Generales, with the Congress of Deputies able to override the Senate, and receive royal assent. |
| Legal profession | Abogados admitted through the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados; practice requires competence in both Spanish codes and French-language OHADA texts. | Advocates are admitted to the bar after a law degree and warrant; legal procurators and notaries handle procedural filing and authentication of deeds. | Abogados belong to local bar associations (colegios de abogados); procuradores represent parties procedurally and notaries authenticate deeds and company acts. |
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.