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 | GhanaReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Mixed (common law and customary law) |
| System of governmentIdentical | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama | Constitution of the Republic of Ghana |
| In force since | 1972 | 1992 |
| Capital | Panama City | Accra |
| Official languages | Spanish | English, Akan, Ewe, Dagbani |
| Currency | Balboa (US dollar in circulation) (PAB) | Ghanaian Cedi (GHS) |
| Population | 4,400,000 | 34,100,000 |
| 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. | Executive president with a Cabinet drawn substantially from Parliament, a unicameral legislature, and a judiciary whose independence is protected by security of tenure and a charged-on-consolidated-fund salary. |
| 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. | A bill is gazetted, read three times, considered by committee and passed by simple majority. Bills with financial implications need presidential consent to be introduced. The President assents; refusal returns the bill with reasons. |
| 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. | Fused: an LLB, the Ghana School of Law professional course and enrolment admit a lawyer who may both solicit and advocate. |
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.