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 | NorwayReviewed | KuwaitReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (Nordic) | Mixed (civil law and Islamic law) |
| System of government | Constitutional monarchy | Unitary constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of Norway (Grunnloven) | Constitution of the State of Kuwait |
| In force since | 1814 | 1962 |
| Capital | Oslo | Kuwait City |
| Official languages | Norwegian | Arabic |
| Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK) | Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) |
| Population | 5,500,000 | 4,300,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary government in which the Council of State answers to the Storting, with an independent judiciary headed by the Supreme Court. | Unitary. Six governorates administered by appointed governors, with no legislative competence. |
| How law is made | Bills are debated and passed by the Storting, which since 2009 sits as a single chamber, and sanctioned by the King in Council. | Under the constitution as designed, bills passed by the National Assembly required Emiri sanction, and the Emir could return a bill for reconsideration which the Assembly could override by a two-thirds majority. With the Assembly dissolved and the relevant articles suspended since May 2024, legislation is made by Emiri decree on the proposal of the Council of Ministers and published in the Official Gazette (Kuwait Al-Youm). |
| Legal profession | The advokat title requires a law degree and practical experience; a separate licence is needed to appear before the Supreme Court. | Advocacy is reserved to Kuwaiti nationals enrolled with the Ministry of Justice and the Kuwait Bar Association, with foreign lawyers acting as consultants and unable to appear; pleadings are in Arabic. Judges are appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council, and a significant proportion of the bench has historically been seconded from other Arab states. Notarial authentication at the Ministry of Justice is required for powers of attorney, property transfers and company formation documents. |
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.