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 | MaliIndexed | IranReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (French tradition) | Islamic law with civil law codification |
| System of government | Republic under transitional military-led government | Islamic republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of Mali | Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran |
| In force since | 2023 | 1979 |
| Capital | Bamako | Tehran |
| Official languages | French, Bambara | Persian |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) | Rial (IRR) |
| Population | 23,300,000 | 89,000,000 |
| Division of powers | Formally a presidential system with a Prime Minister and bicameral legislature under the 2023 text; in practice transitional authorities exercise combined executive and legislative functions pending elections. | Unitary, with 31 provinces headed by governors-general appointed by the Interior Ministry, alongside elected city and village councils created by the Constitution and operating since 1999 with limited competences. |
| How law is made | Under the transition, texts are adopted by the Conseil national de transition or issued as ordinances and promulgated by the President of the Transition. The 2023 constitution provides for ordinary bicameral passage once institutions are restored. | A bill is introduced by the Government or by at least fifteen deputies, passes the Majlis, and goes to the Guardian Council, which has ten days, extendable, to find it consistent with Islam and the Constitution. If the Council objects, the bill returns for amendment; persistent disagreement goes to the Expediency Discernment Council, whose decision is final. Only then does the President sign and publish. |
| Legal profession | Avocats admitted through the Barreau du Mali after a law degree and traineeship; notaires and huissiers are separate ministerial offices. | Two parallel routes to practice, which is unusual and consequential: attorneys licensed by the Iranian Bar Association (Kanoon-e Vokala), a self-governing body dating to 1953, and attorneys licensed under Article 187 of the Third Development Plan directly by the judiciary. The two groups have contested each other's standing for two decades. Notaries operate licensed offices under the registration organisation, and their authentication is required for property transfers, marriage contracts and powers of attorney. |
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.