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Comparison of selected legal systems
AttributeParaguayReviewedCanadaReviewedUruguayReviewedGrenadaReviewedThailandReviewed
Legal familyCivil lawBijural: common law and Quรฉbec civil lawCivil lawCommon lawCivil law
System of governmentUnitary presidential republicFederal parliamentary constitutional monarchyUnitary presidential republicConstitutional monarchyConstitutional monarchy
ConstitutionConstitution of the Republic of ParaguayConstitution Acts, 1867 and 1982Constitution of the Oriental Republic of UruguayThe Grenada ConstitutionConstitution of the Kingdom of Thailand
In force since19921982196719732017
CapitalAsunciรณnOttawaMontevideoSaint George'sBangkok
Official languagesSpanish, GuaranรญEnglish, FrenchSpanishEnglishThai
CurrencyParaguayan guaranรญ (PYG)Canadian Dollar (CAD)Uruguayan peso (UYU)East Caribbean dollar (XCD)Thai baht (THB)
Population6,900,00041,200,0003,400,000126,00071,700,000
Division of powersUnitary with seventeen departments and the capital district, each with an elected governor and departmental board holding administrative and limited fiscal competence. Legislative power is national.Sections 91 and 92 divide federal and provincial competence. Section 33 allows a legislature to override certain Charter rights for renewable five-year periods.Unitary. Nineteen departments have elected intendentes and juntas with administrative and local taxing competence, and municipalities were added in 2010, but all legislative power belongs to the General Assembly.Unitary. The state comprises Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique; Carriacou and Petite Martinique have a Ministry and local administration but no separate legislature.Unitary and centralised, with 76 provinces headed by appointed governors plus Bangkok, which elects its own governor. Pattaya has a special administrative status. Local administrative organisations exist at municipal and sub-district level with limited functions, and the deep south provinces are subject to special security legislation.
How law is madeBills may start in either chamber and must pass both. The President may object in whole or part; Congress overcomes an objection by absolute majority in both chambers. Constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds vote of each chamber and ratification by referendum; wholesale reform requires a constituent assembly.Three readings plus committee study in each chamber, then Royal Assent. Money bills must originate in the Commons.Bills pass both chambers; disagreement is resolved by the General Assembly sitting jointly. The executive may veto, overcome by three-fifths of the joint assembly. Distinctively, 25% of registered voters can force a referendum to repeal a statute within one year of promulgation, and 10% can initiate a constitutional plebiscite.Bills pass three readings in both Houses and receive the Governor-General's assent. Constitutional amendments to entrenched provisions need a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives and then approval by a referendum, a double lock that has defeated every reform package put to voters.Bills pass three readings in the House of Representatives and are then considered by the Senate, which may delay. Money bills require Cabinet endorsement. Before royal assent, a bill may be referred to the Constitutional Court for pre-enactment review. The King signs; if assent is withheld, Parliament may reaffirm the bill by a two-thirds majority after 90 days. Constitutional amendment requires specified majorities in a joint sitting including Senate support, and referendums for some chapters.
Legal professionA law degree and registration of the title with the Supreme Court, which maintains the roll and exercises discipline. Bar membership is voluntary. Because both Spanish and Guaranรญ are official, courts must provide interpretation, and practitioners outside Asunciรณn are commonly bilingual.Provincial law societies regulate admission: an accredited degree, articles, and bar admission courses. Quรฉbec has separate avocat and notaire professions.A degree from the Universidad de la Repรบblica or an accredited private faculty confers the title of abogado, with registration by the Supreme Court. Membership of the Colegio de Abogados del Uruguay is voluntary; the Supreme Court exercises discipline. Escribanos pรบblicos are a separate profession with exclusive competence over conveyancing.A fused profession of legal practitioners admitted by the High Court under the Legal Profession Act, after a law degree and the Legal Education Certificate. The Grenada Bar Association represents practitioners.Lawyers are licensed by the Lawyers Council of Thailand under the Lawyers Act 1985 after a law degree and the ethics course; a separate and much harder Thai Bar Association examination is required for judicial and prosecutorial careers. Notarial services are performed by lawyers holding a notarial services attorney licence. Foreign lawyers may not appear in Thai courts and foreign ownership of law firms is restricted under the Foreign Business Act.

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.