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 | MaltaReviewed | MongoliaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Mixed (civil and common law) | Civil law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary republic | Semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama | Constitution of Malta | Constitution of Mongolia |
| In force since | 1972 | 1964 | 1992 |
| Capital | Panama City | Valletta | Ulaanbaatar |
| Official languages | Spanish | Maltese, English | Mongolian |
| Currency | Balboa (US dollar in circulation) (PAB) | Euro (EUR) | Mongolian tögrög (MNT) |
| Population | 4,400,000 | 540,000 | 3,500,000 |
| 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. | A parliamentary republic with a ceremonial President, a Cabinet led by the Prime Minister answerable to the House of Representatives and an independent judiciary. | Unitary. Twenty-one provinces (aimags) plus the capital, subdivided into soums and districts. Local self-governing assemblies (hurals) sit alongside centrally appointed governors, who are nominated locally but confirmed by the Prime Minister — a hybrid that keeps substantial central control over local administration. |
| 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 passed by the House of Representatives and assented to by the President before publication in the Government Gazette. | Bills are introduced by members of the State Great Khural, the President or the Cabinet, considered in standing committee and then in plenary. The President may veto a bill in whole or in part, and the veto is overridden by a two-thirds majority. Laws take effect ten days after publication in the State Information Bulletin unless the statute provides otherwise. The Law on Legislation requires regulatory impact assessment and public consultation for draft laws. |
| 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. | Advocates are admitted to the bar after a law degree and warrant; legal procurators and notaries handle procedural filing and authentication of deeds. | Advocates are licensed under the Law on the Legal Status of Lawyers 2012, which separated the profession into advocates, prosecutors and notaries and created the Mongolian Bar Association as a self-governing body with mandatory membership. Entry requires a law degree, a qualifying examination and a period of supervised practice. Notaries hold a distinct licence and their involvement is mandatory for many property and corporate transactions, a survival of the Soviet-era formality requirements. |
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.