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Comparison of selected legal systems
AttributeParaguayReviewedDR CongoReviewedNamibiaReviewedUruguayReviewedSeychellesReviewed
Legal familyCivil lawCivil law (Belgian tradition)Mixed Roman-Dutch and English common lawCivil lawMixed French civil law and English common law
System of governmentUnitary presidential republicUnitary semi-presidential republicSemi-presidential republicUnitary presidential republicPresidential republic
ConstitutionConstitution of the Republic of ParaguayConstitution of the Democratic Republic of the CongoConstitution of the Republic of NamibiaConstitution of the Oriental Republic of UruguayConstitution of the Republic of Seychelles
In force since19922006199019671993
CapitalAsunciรณnKinshasaWindhoekMontevideoVictoria
Official languagesSpanish, GuaranรญFrench, Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo, TshilubaEnglishSpanishSeychellois Creole, English, French
CurrencyParaguayan guaranรญ (PYG)Congolese Franc (CDF)Namibian dollar (NAD)Uruguayan peso (UYU)Seychellois rupee (SCR)
Population6,900,000102,300,0002,600,0003,400,000130,000
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.Semi-presidential: a directly elected President, a Prime Minister from the parliamentary majority, and a bicameral Parliament. The 2006 constitution split the former Supreme Court into three separate apex courts.Unitary with 14 administrative regions and elected regional councils, which also constitute the National Council, the upper chamber. Traditional authorities exercise recognised functions over communal land and customary law.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 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 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.Bills pass both chambers; persistent disagreement is resolved by a joint commission or a final National Assembly vote. The President promulgates within the constitutional period, and the Constitutional Court may be seised beforehand.Bills pass the National Assembly through three readings, then go to the National Council for review. The Council may confirm, propose amendments, or object; the Assembly can override an objection by a two-thirds majority. The President then assents, and constitutional amendments require two-thirds of both chambers and may never diminish the rights chapter.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 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 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.Avocats admitted to provincial bars under the national Ordre des avocats after a law degree and traineeship; dรฉfenseurs judiciaires assist in lower courts.A fused profession under the Legal Practitioners Act: a single class of legal practitioner is admitted after a law degree and the Justice Training Centre's postgraduate course, and the Law Society of Namibia regulates practice.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 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.