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 | MalaysiaReviewed | BrazilReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed common law and Islamic law | Civil law |
| System of government | Federal constitutional monarchy | Federal presidential republic |
| Constitution | Federal Constitution of Malaysia | Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil |
| In force since | 1957 | 1988 |
| Capital | Kuala Lumpur | Brasília |
| Official languages | Malay, English | Portuguese |
| Currency | Malaysian ringgit (MYR) | Brazilian Real (BRL) |
| Population | 34,100,000 | 217,000,000 |
| Division of powers | Federal, with 13 states and three federal territories. The Ninth Schedule sets out Federal, State and Concurrent Lists: land, Islamic law, Malay custom and local government are state matters, while trade, finance, defence and civil and criminal law are federal. Sabah and Sarawak hold additional competences — immigration, native customary land, and their own High Court — reflecting the terms on which they joined. | Presidentialism with a bicameral Congress and an assertive judiciary; the STF hears direct actions of unconstitutionality brought by defined institutional applicants. |
| How law is made | Bills pass both houses; the Dewan Negara can delay but not block, and money bills originate in the Dewan Rakyat. Royal assent is required and, since a 1994 amendment, is deemed given after 30 days if withheld. Amendments affecting the rulers, the special position of the Malays, citizenship or the position of Sabah and Sarawak require additional consents beyond the two-thirds majority. | Bills pass both chambers, with the initiating chamber reviewing amendments; the President may veto in whole or part, and Congress may override in joint session. |
| Legal profession | A fused profession of advocates and solicitors, but regulated separately by territory: the Malaysian Bar under the Legal Profession Act 1976 for Peninsular Malaysia, the Sabah Law Society, and the Advocates Association of Sarawak. Admission requires a recognised law degree or the Certificate in Legal Practice, pupillage of nine months, and admission by the High Court. Syariah practitioners are separately admitted by state Syariah authorities and require Syariah law qualifications. | Law graduates must pass the OAB examination; membership of the Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil is mandatory to practise. |
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.