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 | MonacoReviewed | NorwayReviewed | AustriaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Civil law (Nordic) | Civil law |
| System of government | Constitutional hereditary monarchy | Constitutional monarchy | Federal parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Principality of Monaco | Constitution of Norway (Grunnloven) | Bundes-Verfassungsgesetz (B-VG) |
| In force since | 1962 | 1814 | 1920 |
| Capital | Monaco | Oslo | Vienna |
| Official languages | French | Norwegian | German |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Norwegian krone (NOK) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 39,000 | 5,500,000 | 9,100,000 |
| Division of powers | A unitary state of about two square kilometres with a single commune. Legislative power is exercised jointly by the Prince and the National Council; executive power belongs to the Prince, exercised through the Minister of State and the Government Council; judicial power is delegated by the Prince to the courts, with the Tribunal Suprême acting as both constitutional and supreme administrative court. | Parliamentary government in which the Council of State answers to the Storting, with an independent judiciary headed by the Supreme Court. | Nine Länder hold their own constitutions, parliaments and governments, but the federation retains far more legislative power than in Germany or Switzerland; much Länder activity is administering federal law (mittelbare Bundesverwaltung). Three separate high courts sit at the apex, for constitutional, administrative and ordinary matters respectively. |
| How law is made | A bill may be initiated by the Prince or proposed by the National Council. Government bills are laid before the Council, examined in committee and voted; adoption requires the agreement of both the Prince and the Council. The Prince then promulgates the law by sovereign ordinance and it is published in the Journal de Monaco. | Bills are debated and passed by the Storting, which since 2009 sits as a single chamber, and sanctioned by the King in Council. | Bills originate with the government, members of the Nationalrat, the Bundesrat or a popular initiative, and pass three readings in the Nationalrat. The Bundesrat may object but can normally be overridden. The Federal President authenticates the law, the Chancellor countersigns, and it is published in the Bundesgesetzblatt. |
| Legal profession | A small bar of avocats-défenseurs, avocats and avocats stagiaires, organised as the Ordre des Avocats, with admission requiring Monegasque nationality preference, a law degree and a traineeship. French avocats may appear in specified circumstances. Notaries are appointed by sovereign ordinance and are few in number. | The advokat title requires a law degree and practical experience; a separate licence is needed to appear before the Supreme Court. | A Rechtsanwalt qualifies through a law degree, five years of practical training including at least three in a law firm and some months at court, and the bar examination. Admission is via the regional bar chambers under the umbrella of the Österreichischer Rechtsanwaltskammertag. Notaries are a separate profession with appointments limited in number. |
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.