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 | MalawiReviewed | El SalvadorReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | English common law with customary law | Civil law |
| System of government | Presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Malawi | Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador |
| In force since | 1994 | 1983 |
| Capital | Lilongwe | San Salvador |
| Official languages | English, Chichewa | Spanish |
| Currency | Malawian kwacha (MWK) | US dollar (USD) |
| Population | 20,900,000 | 6,300,000 |
| 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. | Unitary, with 14 departments. A 2023 reform cut municipalities from 262 to 44 and the Legislative Assembly from 84 seats to 60. |
| 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. | A bill is approved by simple majority of elected deputies unless a qualified majority is specified. The President may veto or return a bill as unconstitutional; if the Assembly insists by two-thirds and the President still objects on constitutional grounds, the Supreme Court decides. |
| 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. | The Supreme Court itself authorises the exercise of the profession and holds disciplinary power, so a lawyer's licence can be suspended by the court rather than by a bar. Notarial function is granted separately, also by the Supreme Court. |
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.