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 | NorwayReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Common law | Civil law (Nordic) |
| System of government | Unitary parliamentary republic | Constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of Ireland (Bunreacht na hÉireann) | Constitution of Norway (Grunnloven) |
| In force since | 1937 | 1814 |
| Capital | Dublin | Oslo |
| Official languages | Irish, English | Norwegian |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Norwegian krone (NOK) |
| Population | 5,300,000 | 5,500,000 |
| 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. | Parliamentary government in which the Council of State answers to the Storting, with an independent judiciary headed by the Supreme Court. |
| 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 debated and passed by the Storting, which since 2009 sits as a single chamber, and sanctioned by the King in Council. |
| 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. | The advokat title requires a law degree and practical experience; a separate licence is needed to appear before the Supreme Court. |
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.