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 | SenegalReviewed | UgandaReviewed | MalawiReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (French tradition) | Mixed (common law and customary law) | English common law with customary law |
| System of government | Unitary presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic | Presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Senegal | Constitution of the Republic of Uganda | Constitution of the Republic of Malawi |
| In force since | 2001 | 1995 | 1994 |
| Capital | Dakar | Kampala | Lilongwe |
| Official languages | French, Wolof, Pulaar, Serer | English, Swahili, Luganda | English, Chichewa |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) | Ugandan Shilling (UGX) | Malawian kwacha (MWK) |
| Population | 17,700,000 | 48,600,000 | 20,900,000 |
| Division of powers | A strong executive presidency with a Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, a unicameral National Assembly, and a judiciary in which the Conseil constitutionnel, Cour suprême and Cour des comptes occupy separate apexes. | Presidential system with a Prime Minister, a unicameral Parliament, and a judiciary in which the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal (sitting also as the Constitutional Court) and High Court form the superior courts. | Unitary with three regions and 28 districts administered by local councils. Traditional authorities exercise recognised functions over customary land and local dispute resolution. |
| How law is made | Bills originate with the government or deputies, are examined in committee and voted in plenary. The President promulgates within the constitutional period or refers the text to the Conseil constitutionnel. | Bills receive three readings with committee scrutiny; certificates of financial implication are required for money bills. The President assents, returns the bill twice with recommendations, or it becomes law if passed a third time by two-thirds. | Bills pass three readings in the National Assembly with committee scrutiny and are presented for presidential assent, which must be given or withheld within 21 days. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, and amendments affecting entrenched provisions additionally require a referendum. |
| Legal profession | Avocats are admitted to the Ordre des avocats du Sénégal after a law degree, the CFPA professional course and a traineeship. Notaires and huissiers are separate regulated professions. | Fused; an LLB, the Law Development Centre post-graduate diploma and enrolment admit an advocate. The Uganda Law Society is the professional body. | A fused profession of legal practitioners admitted by the High Court after a law degree, regulated by the Malawi Law Society under the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act. |
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.