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.
Select up to six documented jurisdictions
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| Attribute | ParaguayReviewed | Sri LankaReviewed | FranceReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Mixed civil, common and customary law | Civil law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Semi-presidential republic | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Paraguay | Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | Constitution of the Fifth Republic |
| In force since | 1992 | 1978 | 1958 |
| Capital | Asunción | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | Paris |
| Official languages | Spanish, Guaraní | Sinhala, Tamil, English | French |
| Currency | Paraguayan guaraní (PYG) | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 6,900,000 | 22,200,000 | 68,200,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary 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 a devolved provincial layer created by the Thirteenth Amendment of 1987, which established nine provincial councils with legislative competence over a devolved list. Devolution has been contested and uneven; provincial councils have operated without elections since 2018, and the Northern and Eastern provinces' status was central to the conflict that ended in 2009. | Semi-presidential: the President holds reserved powers over defence and foreign affairs; the Government answers to Parliament. The Conseil constitutionnel reviews statutes before promulgation and, since 2008, on referral from litigation. |
| How law is made | Bills 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 are published in the Gazette at least seven days before first reading, which is the trigger for the one-week window to petition the Supreme Court. A bill inconsistent with the Constitution needs a two-thirds majority, and in some cases a referendum. After enactment the Speaker's certificate is conclusive and the Act is immune from challenge. | A projet or proposition de loi shuttles between the chambers; the Assembly can be given the last word. Organic laws and constitutional amendments follow stricter routes. |
| Legal profession | A 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 Guaraní are official, courts must provide interpretation, and practitioners outside Asunción are commonly bilingual. | A single fused profession: attorneys-at-law are admitted and enrolled by the Supreme Court after the Sri Lanka Law College course and examinations, or a recognised law degree plus the final examination. The historic split between advocates and proctors was abolished in 1974. President's Counsel is a distinction conferred by the President. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka represents the profession, and attorneys have rights of audience in all courts from admission. | Avocats qualify through a CRFPA examination and the CAPA. Notaires, huissiers and avocats aux Conseils are separate regulated professions. |
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 — the constitutional detail behind a one-line summary is often the part that governs the outcome.