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 | MalawiReviewed | DR CongoReviewed | GermanyReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | English common law with customary law | Civil law (Belgian tradition) | Civil law |
| System of government | Presidential republic | Unitary semi-presidential republic | Federal parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Malawi | Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Grundgesetz (Basic Law) |
| In force since | 1994 | 2006 | 1949 |
| Capital | Lilongwe | Kinshasa | Berlin |
| Official languages | English, Chichewa | French, Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo, Tshiluba | German |
| Currency | Malawian kwacha (MWK) | Congolese Franc (CDF) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 20,900,000 | 102,300,000 | 84,400,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary with three regions and 28 districts administered by local councils. Traditional authorities exercise recognised functions over customary land and local dispute resolution. | Semi-presidential: a directly elected President, a Prime Minister from the parliamentary majority, and a bicameral Parliament. The 2006 constitution split the former Supreme Court into three separate apex courts. | Rechtsstaat separation of powers with an unusually strong Federal Constitutional Court that can annul statutes and hear individual constitutional complaints. |
| How law is made | Bills pass three readings in the National Assembly with committee scrutiny and are presented for presidential assent, which must be given or withheld within 21 days. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, and amendments affecting entrenched provisions additionally require a referendum. | Bills pass both chambers; persistent disagreement is resolved by a joint commission or a final National Assembly vote. The President promulgates within the constitutional period, and the Constitutional Court may be seised beforehand. | Bills originate with the government, Bundestag or Bundesrat, pass three readings in the Bundestag, then require Bundesrat consent or non-objection; a mediation committee resolves deadlock. |
| Legal profession | A fused profession of legal practitioners admitted by the High Court after a law degree, regulated by the Malawi Law Society under the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act. | Avocats admitted to provincial bars under the national Ordre des avocats after a law degree and traineeship; défenseurs judiciaires assist in lower courts. | Two state examinations plus a two-year Referendariat produce the unified jurist qualified as Rechtsanwalt, judge, prosecutor or notary. |
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.