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| Attribute | SomaliaIndexed | Equatorial GuineaIndexed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Pluralist: Islamic, customary and civil law | Civil law (Spanish tradition) |
| System of government | Federal parliamentary republic | Unitary presidential republic |
| Constitution | Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia | Fundamental Law of Equatorial Guinea |
| In force since | 2012 | 1991 |
| Capital | Mogadishu | Malabo |
| Official languages | Somali, Arabic | Spanish, French, Portuguese |
| Currency | Somali shilling (SOS) | Central African CFA franc (XAF) |
| Population | 18,100,000 | 1,700,000 |
| Division of powers | 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. | Presidential system with a Vice-President and Prime Minister, a bicameral Parliament of Chamber of Deputies and Senate, and a judiciary headed by the Supreme Court of Justice. |
| How law is made | 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. | Bills pass the Chamber of Deputies and Senate and are promulgated by the President, who may return a text for reconsideration. |
| Legal profession | 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. | Abogados admitted through the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados; practice requires competence in both Spanish codes and French-language OHADA texts. |
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.