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 | UruguayReviewed | MaltaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law with common-law influence | Civil law | Mixed (civil and common law) |
| System of government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of Japan | Constitution of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay | Constitution of Malta |
| In force since | 1947 | 1967 | 1964 |
| Capital | Tokyo | Montevideo | Valletta |
| Official languages | Japanese | Spanish | Maltese, English |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | Uruguayan peso (UYU) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 123,500,000 | 3,400,000 | 540,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary government with the Cabinet collectively responsible to the Diet, and a Supreme Court holding the final power of constitutional review. | Unitary. Nineteen departments have elected intendentes and juntas with administrative and local taxing competence, and municipalities were added in 2010, but all legislative power belongs to the General Assembly. | 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 | 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. | Bills pass both chambers; disagreement is resolved by the General Assembly sitting jointly. The executive may veto, overcome by three-fifths of the joint assembly. Distinctively, 25% of registered voters can force a referendum to repeal a statute within one year of promulgation, and 10% can initiate a constitutional plebiscite. | Bills are passed by the House of Representatives and assented to by the President before publication in the Government Gazette. |
| 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. | A degree from the Universidad de la República or an accredited private faculty confers the title of abogado, with registration by the Supreme Court. Membership of the Colegio de Abogados del Uruguay is voluntary; the Supreme Court exercises discipline. Escribanos públicos are a separate profession with exclusive competence over conveyancing. | 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.