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 | IndiaReviewed | MalawiReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Common law with personal-law pluralism | English common law with customary law |
| System of government | Federal parliamentary republic | Presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of India | Constitution of the Republic of Malawi |
| In force since | 1950 | 1994 |
| Capital | New Delhi | Lilongwe |
| Official languages | Hindi, English, +22 scheduled languages | English, Chichewa |
| Currency | Indian Rupee (INR) | Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
| Population | 1,441,000,000 | 20,900,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary federalism with subjects distributed across Union, State and Concurrent Lists; judicial review is entrenched, and writ jurisdiction under Articles 32 and 226 is broad. | Unitary with three regions and 28 districts administered by local councils. Traditional authorities exercise recognised functions over customary land and local dispute resolution. |
| How law is made | Bills pass three readings in each House; money bills originate only in the Lok Sabha. Presidential assent follows, and ordinances may be promulgated between sessions. | Bills pass three readings in the National Assembly with committee scrutiny and are presented for presidential assent, which must be given or withheld within 21 days. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, and amendments affecting entrenched provisions additionally require a referendum. |
| Legal profession | A single fused profession of advocates enrolled with State Bar Councils under the Advocates Act 1961, subject to the All India Bar Examination. | A fused profession of legal practitioners admitted by the High Court after a law degree, regulated by the Malawi Law Society under the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act. |
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.