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 | IrelandReviewed | MaltaReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Common law | Mixed (civil and common law) |
| System of governmentIdentical | Unitary parliamentary republic | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann) | Constitution of Malta |
| In force since | 1937 | 1964 |
| Capital | Dublin | Valletta |
| Official languages | Irish, English | Maltese, English |
| CurrencyIdentical | Euro (EUR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 5,300,000 | 540,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary government with a directly elected President as head of state, a bicameral Oireachtas and an independent judiciary with robust constitutional-review powers. | A parliamentary republic with a ceremonial President, a Cabinet led by the Prime Minister answerable to the House of Representatives and an independent judiciary. |
| How law is made | Bills pass five stages in each House of the Oireachtas and are signed by the President, who may first refer a bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. | Bills are passed by the House of Representatives and assented to by the President before publication in the Government Gazette. |
| Legal profession | A divided profession of solicitors (Law Society) and barristers (King’s Inns and the Bar), with a growing overlap in rights of audience. | Advocates are admitted to the bar after a law degree and warrant; legal procurators and notaries handle procedural filing and authentication of deeds. |
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.