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 | LiechtensteinReviewed | DenmarkReviewed | UruguayReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Civil law (Nordic) | Civil law |
| System of government | Semi-constitutional hereditary monarchy with direct democracy | Constitutional monarchy | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Principality of Liechtenstein | Constitutional Act of Denmark (Grundloven) | Constitution of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay |
| In force since | 1921 | 1953 | 1967 |
| Capital | Vaduz | Copenhagen | Montevideo |
| Official languages | German | Danish | Spanish |
| Currency | Swiss Franc (CHF) | Danish krone (DKK) | Uruguayan peso (UYU) |
| Population | 40,000 | 5,900,000 | 3,400,000 |
| Division of powers | A unitary state of eleven communes, which retain a constitutional right of secession. Power is shared between the Prince, the Landtag and the electorate: 1,000 citizens can demand a referendum on a law and 1,500 can initiate a constitutional amendment. EEA membership adds a supranational layer supervised by the EFTA Surveillance Authority and the EFTA Court. | Parliamentary government in which the cabinet is drawn from and answerable to the Folketing, with an independent unified judiciary. | 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. |
| How law is made | A bill is debated and adopted by the Landtag, then requires the sanction of the Reigning Prince, whose refusal is absolute and not overridable. Statutes may be subjected to a referendum on the demand of 1,000 citizens or of the Landtag itself, and are published in the Landesgesetzblatt. | Bills pass three readings in the Folketing and receive royal assent. A minority of members can require certain bills to be put to a referendum. | 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. |
| Legal profession | Rechtsanwälte are admitted by the Liechtenstein Bar Association after a law degree, a supervised traineeship and the bar examination; qualifications from Austria and Switzerland are widely recognised. Trustees (Treuhänder) are a distinct and significant regulated profession given the importance of foundations and asset structures. | A single advokat profession admitted after a law degree, practical training and a bar course; judges are appointed from experienced lawyers. | 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. |
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.