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 | MalaysiaReviewed | UruguayReviewed | DenmarkReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed common law and Islamic law | Civil law | Civil law (Nordic) |
| System of government | Federal constitutional monarchy | Unitary presidential republic | Constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Federal Constitution of Malaysia | Constitution of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay | Constitutional Act of Denmark (Grundloven) |
| In force since | 1957 | 1967 | 1953 |
| Capital | Kuala Lumpur | Montevideo | Copenhagen |
| Official languages | Malay, English | Spanish | Danish |
| Currency | Malaysian ringgit (MYR) | Uruguayan peso (UYU) | Danish krone (DKK) |
| Population | 34,100,000 | 3,400,000 | 5,900,000 |
| 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. | 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. | Parliamentary government in which the cabinet is drawn from and answerable to the Folketing, with an independent unified judiciary. |
| 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; 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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 single advokat profession admitted after a law degree, practical training and a bar course; judges are appointed from experienced lawyers. |
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.