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Comparison of selected legal systems
AttributeParaguayReviewedNepalReviewedGrenadaReviewedSomaliaIndexed
Legal familyCivil lawMixed common law and Hindu customary traditionCommon lawPluralist: Islamic, customary and civil law
System of governmentUnitary presidential republicFederal parliamentary republicConstitutional monarchyFederal parliamentary republic
ConstitutionConstitution of the Republic of ParaguayConstitution of NepalThe Grenada ConstitutionProvisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia
In force since1992201519732012
CapitalAsunciรณnKathmanduSaint George'sMogadishu
Official languagesSpanish, GuaranรญNepaliEnglishSomali, Arabic
CurrencyParaguayan guaranรญ (PYG)Nepalese rupee (NPR)East Caribbean dollar (XCD)Somali shilling (SOS)
Population6,900,00030,500,000126,00018,100,000
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.Federal with three tiers: one federal government, seven provinces and 753 local units, each with its own elected assembly and schedule of exclusive powers. This is a genuine constitutional division rather than delegation โ€” local units have taxing and legislative competence โ€” and much post-2015 litigation concerns the boundaries between tiers and the slow transfer of staff and revenue.Unitary. The state comprises Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique; Carriacou and Petite Martinique have a Ministry and local administration but no separate legislature.Federal in form, with member states including Puntland, Jubaland, South West, Hirshabelle and Galmudug. The division of powers was left to be settled by later agreement and remains contested, particularly over revenue and security. Somaliland, in the northwest, does not participate and administers its own institutions.
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 federal houses, except money bills which originate in the House of Representatives; the President must assent. Constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both houses and, where a provision affects provincial boundaries or powers, the consent of a majority of provincial assemblies. Provinces and local units legislate within their own schedules.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 are introduced by the government or members and passed by the House of the People, with the Upper House participating on matters affecting member states, before presidential assent. Because Article 2 subjects all legislation to consistency with Sharia and no court exists to adjudicate that limit, and because member-state legislation operates in parallel, the effective legislative picture cannot be described as unified.
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.Advocates are licensed by the Nepal Bar Council after a law degree and the Council's examination, with tiers of pleader, advocate and senior advocate. A single licence permits appearance at all levels, and the Nepal Bar Association is the professional body. Legal aid is provided under the Legal Aid Act 1997 through district committees, and the Constitution guarantees free legal aid to indigent parties.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.Advocates practise through the Somali Bar Association and regional bar associations, with legal education rebuilt through universities in Mogadishu, Hargeisa and elsewhere since the 1990s. Many practitioners work across the formal courts and customary forums, since a client's remedy often lies in the latter. Verified current figures on admission and numbers are not available, which is reflected in this entry's status.

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.