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Comparison

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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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Comparison of selected legal systems
AttributeParaguayReviewedIranReviewedSaudi ArabiaReviewed
Legal familyCivil lawIslamic law with civil law codificationIslamic law
System of governmentUnitary presidential republicIslamic republicUnitary Islamic absolute monarchy
ConstitutionConstitution of the Republic of ParaguayConstitution of the Islamic Republic of IranBasic Law of Governance
In force since199219791992
CapitalAsunciรณnTehranRiyadh
Official languagesSpanish, GuaranรญPersianArabic
CurrencyParaguayan guaranรญ (PYG)Rial (IRR)Saudi riyal (SAR)
Population6,900,00089,000,00036,900,000
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.Unitary, with 31 provinces headed by governors-general appointed by the Interior Ministry, alongside elected city and village councils created by the Constitution and operating since 1999 with limited competences.Unitary. Thirteen provinces headed by governors drawn from the royal family and appointed by the King, each with an appointed provincial council. No legislative competence exists below the national level.
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.A bill is introduced by the Government or by at least fifteen deputies, passes the Majlis, and goes to the Guardian Council, which has ten days, extendable, to find it consistent with Islam and the Constitution. If the Council objects, the bill returns for amendment; persistent disagreement goes to the Expediency Discernment Council, whose decision is final. Only then does the President sign and publish.There is no legislature with power to enact law. Proposals originate in ministries or the Shura Council, are considered by the Council of Ministers, and take effect as royal decrees signed by the King and published in Umm al-Qura. The Shura Council may study and recommend but its resolutions require royal approval, and the King may legislate without consulting it.
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.Two parallel routes to practice, which is unusual and consequential: attorneys licensed by the Iranian Bar Association (Kanoon-e Vokala), a self-governing body dating to 1953, and attorneys licensed under Article 187 of the Third Development Plan directly by the judiciary. The two groups have contested each other's standing for two decades. Notaries operate licensed offices under the registration organisation, and their authentication is required for property transfers, marriage contracts and powers of attorney.Advocates are licensed under the Code of Law Practice and must be Saudi nationals to appear in court, though licensed foreign firms may advise and now associate more freely following the 2024 opening. Judges are appointed from graduates of Sharia faculties by the Supreme Judicial Council and the King. Notarisation is a judicial function performed by notaries within the Ministry of Justice, and most commercial documentation must be executed in Arabic to be enforceable onshore.

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.