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
Clear selectionAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAndorraAngolaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaColombiaComorosCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCyprusCzechiaDR CongoDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFijiFinlandFranceGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGrenadaGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHoly See (Vatican City)HondurasHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNorth KoreaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRepublic of the CongoRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaSão Tomé and PrÃncipeTajikistanTanzaniaThailandThe BahamasTimor-LesteTogoTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaVietnamYemenZambiaZimbabwe
| Attribute | NigerIndexed | United Arab EmiratesReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (French tradition) | Mixed (civil law and Islamic law, with common-law financial free zones) |
| System of government | Republic under military-led government | Federal elective monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Seventh Republic (suspended) | Constitution of the United Arab Emirates |
| In force since | 2010 | 1971 |
| Capital | Niamey | Abu Dhabi |
| Official languages | French, Hausa, Zarma | Arabic |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) | UAE dirham (AED) |
| Population | 26,200,000 | 10,500,000 |
| Division of powers | Under the suspended constitution, a semi-presidential system with a President, Prime Minister and National Assembly. Currently executive and legislative authority is concentrated in the CNSP and an appointed government. | Federal, and asymmetric in practice. Seven emirates, of which Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah maintain their own separate local court systems outside the federal judiciary entirely, while the others are integrated into it. Each emirate legislates in its own sphere, and the two financial free zones are separate legal jurisdictions with civil and commercial competence. |
| How law is made | Legislation is currently made by order of the governing authority and published in the Journal Officiel. The suspended constitution provided for ordinary parliamentary passage and presidential promulgation. | Draft federal legislation is prepared by the Council of Ministers, reviewed by the Federal National Council, approved by the Supreme Council of Rulers and ratified by the President before publication in the Official Gazette. The Federal National Council may propose amendments but the Supreme Council may enact legislation over its objection. Much regulation now issues as federal decree-laws. Free-zone legislation is enacted by the DIFC and ADGM authorities under their own procedures. |
| Legal profession | Avocats admitted through the Barreau du Niger after a law degree and traineeship; notaires and huissiers are separate offices. | Onshore advocacy before the federal and local courts is reserved to UAE nationals licensed by the Ministry of Justice, with foreign lawyers practising as legal consultants; pleadings onshore must be in Arabic. The DIFC and ADGM courts, by contrast, admit registered practitioners from any common-law jurisdiction and conduct proceedings in English, which is the principal practical reason parties opt into them. Notarisation before a public notary is required for powers of attorney, share transfers and real property dispositions. |
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.