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 | KenyaReviewed | GrenadaReviewed | The BahamasReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed (common law, customary law, Islamic law) | Common law | Common law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic with devolved counties | Constitutional monarchy | Constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of Kenya | The Grenada Constitution | The Constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas |
| In force since | 2010 | 1973 | 1973 |
| Capital | Nairobi | Saint George's | Nassau |
| Official languages | English, Swahili | English | English |
| Currency | Kenyan Shilling (KES) | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) | Bahamian dollar (BSD) |
| Population | 55,100,000 | 126,000 | 410,000 |
| Division of powers | Presidential system with no Prime Minister, a bicameral Parliament of National Assembly and Senate, 47 county governments with their own assemblies and executives, and an independent judiciary supervised by the Judicial Service Commission. | Unitary. The state comprises Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique; Carriacou and Petite Martinique have a Ministry and local administration but no separate legislature. | Unitary. Parliament legislates nationally; the Family Islands are administered through local government districts created by the Local Government Act 1996, with New Providence excluded from that scheme. |
| How law is made | Bills are read three times with committee scrutiny and public participation, which the courts treat as a justiciable requirement. Bills concerning counties must pass both chambers. The President assents or refers the bill back with reservations, which Parliament may override by two-thirds. | Bills pass three readings in both Houses and receive the Governor-General's assent. Constitutional amendments to entrenched provisions need a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives and then approval by a referendum, a double lock that has defeated every reform package put to voters. | Bills pass three readings in the House of Assembly and Senate before the Governor-General assents. Entrenched constitutional provisions, including those on citizenship and the composition of Parliament, require both a three-quarters parliamentary majority and approval by referendum, which is why constitutional change has repeatedly failed. |
| Legal profession | Fused: an LLB, the Kenya School of Law advocates training programme, and admission by the Chief Justice produce an advocate of the High Court. The Law Society of Kenya is the professional body; Senior Counsel is the senior rank. | A fused profession of legal practitioners admitted by the High Court under the Legal Profession Act, after a law degree and the Legal Education Certificate. The Grenada Bar Association represents practitioners. | A fused profession of counsel and attorneys admitted by the Supreme Court under the Legal Profession Act 1992, after a law degree and either the Legal Education Certificate or qualification in another common-law jurisdiction. The Bahamas Bar Association and its Bar Council regulate practice. |
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.