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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| Attribute | LibyaIndexed | SudanIndexed | PanamaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law with Islamic law as a source | Mixed Islamic and common law | Civil law |
| System of government | Provisional government with contested authority | Military government following the 2021 coup and 2023 war | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitutional Declaration (interim) | Draft Constitutional Charter for the Transitional Period | Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama |
| In force since | 2011 | 2019 | 1972 |
| Capital | Tripoli | Khartoum | Panama City |
| Official languages | Arabic | Arabic, English | Spanish |
| Currency | Libyan dinar (LYD) | Sudanese pound (SDG) | Balboa (US dollar in circulation) (PAB) |
| Population | 6,900,000 | 48,100,000 | 4,400,000 |
| 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. | Formally federal, with states headed by governors. The Juba Peace Agreement of 2020 contemplated regional arrangements for Darfur and the Two Areas. Effective authority is currently divided between the belligerents and varies by locality. | Unitary, with ten provinces and five indigenous comarcas. The comarcas โ Guna Yala, Emberรก-Wounaan, Ngรคbe-Buglรฉ, Guna de Madugandรญ and Guna de Wargandรญ โ hold recognised collective land title and internal authority. |
| 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. | The Charter assigned legislation to a joint sitting of the Sovereignty Council and the cabinet pending the formation of a legislative council, which never fully happened. Since 2021 instruments have been issued by decree. There is no verifiable ordinary legislative process at present, which is why this profile is marked as requiring research. | Bills receive three debates in the National Assembly. The President may object in whole or in part; the Assembly insists with a two-thirds vote, after which the President must promulgate unless the objection was constitutional, in which case the Supreme Court decides. |
| 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. | Advocates are admitted through the Sudanese Bar Association, and the profession โ particularly the Sudanese Professionals Association and the emergency lawyers' groups โ was central to the 2019 protest movement and to documenting subsequent abuses. Judges are career appointments through the Judicial Service Commission. Current admission practice and numbers cannot be reliably confirmed. | Practice requires a Panamanian law degree and a licence from the Supreme Court; the Colegio Nacional de Abogados is influential but membership is voluntary. Only Panamanian lawyers may appear in court, which is why offshore work is routinely structured through local counsel. |
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 โ the constitutional detail behind a one-line summary is often the part that governs the outcome.