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.
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| Attribute | PanamaReviewed | SeychellesReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Mixed French civil law and English common law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Presidential republic |
| Constitution | Political Constitution of the Republic of Panama | Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles |
| In force since | 1972 | 1993 |
| Capital | Panama City | Victoria |
| Official languages | Spanish | Seychellois Creole, English, French |
| Currency | Balboa (US dollar in circulation) (PAB) | Seychellois rupee (SCR) |
| Population | 4,400,000 | 130,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary, with ten provinces and five indigenous comarcas. The comarcas โ Guna Yala, Emberรก-Wounaan, Ngรคbe-Buglรฉ, Guna de Madugandรญ and Guna de Wargandรญ โ hold recognised collective land title and internal authority. | Unitary with 27 administrative districts. The outer islands are administered centrally, and the Seychelles' extensive exclusive economic zone is a significant focus of regulation. |
| 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 pass the National Assembly with committee scrutiny and receive presidential assent; the President may refer a bill to the Constitutional Court on a question of constitutionality before assent. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, and amendments to certain protected provisions additionally require a referendum. |
| 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. | A fused profession of attorneys-at-law admitted by the Supreme Court after a recognised law qualification and pupillage, with the Bar Association of Seychelles representing practitioners. |
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 โ the constitutional detail behind a one-line summary is often the part that governs the outcome.