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 | SeychellesReviewed | IranReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed French civil law and English common law | Islamic law with civil law codification |
| System of government | Presidential republic | Islamic republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles | Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran |
| In force since | 1993 | 1979 |
| Capital | Victoria | Tehran |
| Official languages | Seychellois Creole, English, French | Persian |
| Currency | Seychellois rupee (SCR) | Rial (IRR) |
| Population | 130,000 | 89,000,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary with 27 administrative districts. The outer islands are administered centrally, and the Seychelles' extensive exclusive economic zone is a significant focus of regulation. | 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. |
| How law is made | Bills pass the National Assembly with committee scrutiny and receive presidential assent; the President may refer a bill to the Constitutional Court on a question of constitutionality before assent. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, and amendments to certain protected provisions additionally require a referendum. | 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. |
| Legal profession | A fused profession of attorneys-at-law admitted by the Supreme Court after a recognised law qualification and pupillage, with the Bar Association of Seychelles representing practitioners. | 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. |
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.