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 | PanamaReviewed | ChadIndexed | SpainReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Mixed (French civil law, customary and Islamic law) | Civil law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama | Constitution of the Republic of Chad | Spanish Constitution |
| In force since | 1972 | 2023 | 1978 |
| Capital | Panama City | N'Djamena | Madrid |
| Official languages | Spanish | French, Arabic | Spanish |
| Currency | Balboa (US dollar in circulation) (PAB) | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 4,400,000 | 18,300,000 | 48,400,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary, with ten provinces and five indigenous comarcas. The comarcas — Guna Yala, Emberá-Wounaan, Ngäbe-Buglé, Guna de Madugandí and Guna de Wargandí — hold recognised collective land title and internal authority. | Presidential system with a Prime Minister, a bicameral Parliament of National Assembly and Senate under the 2023 text, and a judiciary headed by the Supreme Court. | A constitutional monarchy with the King as head of state, an executive led by the President of the Government, a bicameral parliament and an independent judiciary, overlaid by extensive regional self-government. |
| How law is made | Bills receive three debates in the National Assembly. The President may object in whole or in part; the Assembly insists with a two-thirds vote, after which the President must promulgate unless the objection was constitutional, in which case the Supreme Court decides. | Bills are examined in committee and plenary and passed by the legislature, then promulgated by the President. The Constitutional Council may be seised before promulgation. | Bills pass both chambers of the Cortes Generales, with the Congress of Deputies able to override the Senate, and receive royal assent. |
| Legal profession | Practice requires a Panamanian law degree and a licence from the Supreme Court; the Colegio Nacional de Abogados is influential but membership is voluntary. Only Panamanian lawyers may appear in court, which is why offshore work is routinely structured through local counsel. | Avocats admitted through the Ordre des avocats du Tchad; the profession is concentrated in N'Djamena. | Abogados belong to local bar associations (colegios de abogados); procuradores represent parties procedurally and notaries authenticate deeds and company acts. |
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.