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 | IraqReviewed | NamibiaReviewed | SenegalReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law with Islamic law influence | Mixed Roman-Dutch and English common law | Civil law (French tradition) |
| System of government | Federal parliamentary republic | Semi-presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Iraq | Constitution of the Republic of Namibia | Constitution of the Republic of Senegal |
| In force since | 2005 | 1990 | 2001 |
| Capital | Baghdad | Windhoek | Dakar |
| Official languages | Arabic, Kurdish | English | French, Wolof, Pulaar, Serer |
| Currency | Iraqi dinar (IQD) | Namibian dollar (NAD) | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
| Population | 45,500,000 | 2,600,000 | 17,700,000 |
| Division of powers | Genuinely federal in form: 15 governorates not organised into a region, plus the Kurdistan Region, which has its own Parliament, government, judiciary and security forces. Governorates may petition to form new regions. Residual powers lie with the regions and governorates rather than the centre, and regional law prevails over federal law outside the exclusive federal competences — the reverse of the usual federal rule. | Unitary with 14 administrative regions and elected regional councils, which also constitute the National Council, the upper chamber. Traditional authorities exercise recognised functions over communal land and customary law. | A strong executive presidency with a Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, a unicameral National Assembly, and a judiciary in which the Conseil constitutionnel, Cour suprême and Cour des comptes occupy separate apexes. |
| How law is made | Bills are proposed by the President with the Council of Ministers, or by ten members or a committee of the Council of Representatives. They pass two readings and a vote, and the President ratifies within fifteen days, after which they are published and take effect. The Federation Council envisaged by the Constitution has never been created, so there is no second chamber in practice. | Bills pass the National Assembly through three readings, then go to the National Council for review. The Council may confirm, propose amendments, or object; the Assembly can override an objection by a two-thirds majority. The President then assents, and constitutional amendments require two-thirds of both chambers and may never diminish the rights chapter. | Bills originate with the government or deputies, are examined in committee and voted in plenary. The President promulgates within the constitutional period or refers the text to the Conseil constitutionnel. |
| Legal profession | Lawyers are admitted by the Iraqi Bar Association under the Advocacy Law, with grades of practice determining which courts a member may appear in — a seniority ladder rather than a single right of audience. The Bar is self-governing and its licence is required for court work. The Kurdistan Region has its own bar association, and the two are administratively distinct, so practitioners generally hold the licence appropriate to where they appear. | A fused profession under the Legal Practitioners Act: a single class of legal practitioner is admitted after a law degree and the Justice Training Centre's postgraduate course, and the Law Society of Namibia regulates practice. | Avocats are admitted to the Ordre des avocats du Sénégal after a law degree, the CFPA professional course and a traineeship. Notaires and huissiers are separate regulated professions. |
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.