Comparison

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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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Comparison of selected legal systems
Attribute	LibyaIndexed	GuineaIndexed	SomaliaIndexed
Legal family	Civil law with Islamic law as a source	Civil law (French tradition)	Pluralist: Islamic, customary and civil law
System of government	Provisional government with contested authority	Republic under transitional military-led government	Federal parliamentary republic
Constitution	Constitutional Declaration (interim)	Constitution of Guinea	Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia
In force since	2011	2025	2012
Capital	Tripoli	Conakry	Mogadishu
Official languages	Arabic	French, Pular, Maninka, Susu	Somali, Arabic
Currency	Libyan dinar (LYD)	Guinean Franc (GNF)	Somali shilling (SOS)
Population	6,900,000	14,200,000	18,100,000
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.	Transitional arrangements have concentrated authority in the CNRD and an appointed government; the 2025 constitution provides for a presidential system with a legislature.	Federal in form, with member states including Puntland, Jubaland, South West, Hirshabelle and Galmudug. The division of powers was left to be settled by later agreement and remains contested, particularly over revenue and security. Somaliland, in the northwest, does not participate and administers its own institutions.
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.	Transitional texts have been adopted by the Conseil national de la transition or issued as ordinances; the 2025 constitution provides for ordinary legislative passage and promulgation.	Bills are introduced by the government or members and passed by the House of the People, with the Upper House participating on matters affecting member states, before presidential assent. Because Article 2 subjects all legislation to consistency with Sharia and no court exists to adjudicate that limit, and because member-state legislation operates in parallel, the effective legislative picture cannot be described as unified.
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 Barreau de Guinée after a law degree and traineeship; notaires and huissiers are separate offices.	Advocates practise through the Somali Bar Association and regional bar associations, with legal education rebuilt through universities in Mogadishu, Hargeisa and elsewhere since the 1990s. Many practitioners work across the formal courts and customary forums, since a client's remedy often lies in the latter. Verified current figures on admission and numbers are not available, which is reflected in this entry's status.

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.