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 | FranceReviewed | Equatorial GuineaIndexed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Civil law (Spanish tradition) |
| System of government | Unitary semi-presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Fifth Republic | Fundamental Law of Equatorial Guinea |
| In force since | 1958 | 1991 |
| Capital | Paris | Malabo |
| Official languages | French | Spanish, French, Portuguese |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Central African CFA franc (XAF) |
| Population | 68,200,000 | 1,700,000 |
| Division of powers | Semi-presidential: the President holds reserved powers over defence and foreign affairs; the Government answers to Parliament. The Conseil constitutionnel reviews statutes before promulgation and, since 2008, on referral from litigation. | 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. |
| How law is made | A projet or proposition de loi shuttles between the chambers; the Assembly can be given the last word. Organic laws and constitutional amendments follow stricter routes. | Bills pass the Chamber of Deputies and Senate and are promulgated by the President, who may return a text for reconsideration. |
| Legal profession | Avocats qualify through a CRFPA examination and the CAPA. Notaires, huissiers and avocats aux Conseils are separate regulated professions. | Abogados admitted through the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados; practice requires competence in both Spanish codes and French-language OHADA texts. |
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.