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 | JapanReviewed | NetherlandsReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law with common-law influence | Civil law |
| System of governmentIdentical | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of Japan | Grondwet (Constitution of the Netherlands) |
| In force since | 1947 | 1815 |
| Capital | Tokyo | Amsterdam |
| Official languages | Japanese | Dutch, Frisian |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 123,500,000 | 17,900,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary government with the Cabinet collectively responsible to the Diet, and a Supreme Court holding the final power of constitutional review. | A decentralised unitary state rather than a federation: twelve provinces and the municipalities hold delegated autonomy, not sovereign competence. The Kingdom also includes Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten as autonomous countries, with Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius as special municipalities. |
| How law is made | Most bills are Cabinet-sponsored, drafted by ministries and reviewed by the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, then passed by both houses; the lower house can override the upper by a two-thirds majority. | A bill is submitted to the Advisory Division of the Council of State for an opinion, then to the Tweede Kamer, which may amend it, and then to the Eerste Kamer, which may only accept or reject. After adoption it is signed by the King and the responsible minister and published in the Staatsblad. |
| Legal profession | Candidates pass the national bar examination, then complete a year at the Legal Training and Research Institute before qualifying as bengoshi, judge or prosecutor. | Advocaten are admitted to the bar (Nederlandse orde van advocaten) after a law degree and a three-year traineeship with the professional course. Representation by an advocaat is compulsory before most courts but not before the kantonrechter. Notaries and bailiffs (deurwaarders) 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.