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.
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| Attribute | PhilippinesReviewed | LatviaReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed civil and common law | Civil law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines | Constitution of Latvia (Satversme) |
| In force since | 1987 | 1922 |
| Capital | Manila | Riga |
| Official languages | Filipino, English | Latvian |
| Currency | Philippine peso (PHP) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 114,000,000 | 1,880,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary but with a constitutionally mandated Local Government Code devolving substantial powers, and one autonomous region: the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, created in 2019 under the Bangsamoro Organic Law with its own parliament and its own Syariah justice system. | Parliamentary government with a parliament-elected president and a separate Constitutional Court alongside the ordinary judiciary. |
| How law is made | A bill passes three readings in each chamber, is reconciled in a bicameral conference committee, and goes to the President, who may veto it in whole or — uniquely for appropriation, revenue and tariff bills — line by line. Congress may override by two-thirds of each house voting separately. The Constitution also reserves a people's initiative for amendments, though the enabling machinery has repeatedly been held inadequate. | Bills pass readings in the Saeima and are promulgated by the President, who may return a bill or, with a minority of deputies, suspend it for a possible referendum. |
| Legal profession | A single fused profession of attorneys admitted to the Philippine Bar by the Supreme Court itself, which controls admission, discipline and the rules of practice — a power the Constitution assigns to the Court rather than to the executive or a bar council. Candidates complete a four-year law degree and sit the Bar Examinations, historically among the hardest in Asia with pass rates often under 25 per cent. All lawyers belong to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the Court has imposed mandatory continuing legal education since 2000. | Sworn advocates belong to the Latvian Council of Sworn Advocates; sworn notaries handle property and succession formalities. |
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.