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.
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| Attribute | LibyaIndexed | ChadIndexed | Sri LankaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law with Islamic law as a source | Mixed (French civil law, customary and Islamic law) | Mixed civil, common and customary law |
| System of government | Provisional government with contested authority | Unitary presidential republic | Semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitutional Declaration (interim) | Constitution of the Republic of Chad | Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |
| In force since | 2011 | 2023 | 1978 |
| Capital | Tripoli | N'Djamena | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte |
| Official languages | Arabic | French, Arabic | Sinhala, Tamil, English |
| Currency | Libyan dinar (LYD) | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) |
| Population | 6,900,000 | 18,300,000 | 22,200,000 |
| Division of powers | Nominally unitary with governorates and municipalities. In practice authority is divided between competing administrations and local armed actors, and municipal councils have in many places become the most functional layer of government. | Presidential system with a Prime Minister, a bicameral Parliament of National Assembly and Senate under the 2023 text, and a judiciary headed by the Supreme Court. | Unitary with a devolved provincial layer created by the Thirteenth Amendment of 1987, which established nine provincial councils with legislative competence over a devolved list. Devolution has been contested and uneven; provincial councils have operated without elections since 2018, and the Northern and Eastern provinces' status was central to the conflict that ended in 2009. |
| How law is made | There is no single functioning legislative process. The House of Representatives passes laws that the High Council of State contests, and the rival administrations issue decrees within their areas of control. Whether a given instrument is law therefore depends on which authority is recognised, which is exactly why this profile is marked as requiring research rather than described as settled. | Bills are examined in committee and plenary and passed by the legislature, then promulgated by the President. The Constitutional Council may be seised before promulgation. | Bills are published in the Gazette at least seven days before first reading, which is the trigger for the one-week window to petition the Supreme Court. A bill inconsistent with the Constitution needs a two-thirds majority, and in some cases a referendum. After enactment the Speaker's certificate is conclusive and the Act is immune from challenge. |
| Legal profession | Advocates are admitted through the Libyan Bar Association, and the profession has continued to function, including in human-rights litigation, despite serious risks to practitioners. Judicial appointments run through the Supreme Judicial Council. Reliable current information on admission requirements and numbers is limited, which is reflected in the verification status of this entry. | Avocats admitted through the Ordre des avocats du Tchad; the profession is concentrated in N'Djamena. | A single fused profession: attorneys-at-law are admitted and enrolled by the Supreme Court after the Sri Lanka Law College course and examinations, or a recognised law degree plus the final examination. The historic split between advocates and proctors was abolished in 1974. President's Counsel is a distinction conferred by the President. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka represents the profession, and attorneys have rights of audience in all courts from admission. |
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.