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 | South AfricaReviewed | New ZealandReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed: Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, customary law | Common law |
| System of government | Parliamentary republic | Constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 | Uncodified โ principally the Constitution Act 1986 |
| In force since | 1996 | 1986 |
| Capital | Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) | Wellington |
| Official languages | isiZulu, English, Afrikaans, +9 official languages | English, Mฤori, New Zealand Sign Language |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | New Zealand dollar (NZD) |
| Population | 61,000,000 | 5,200,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary executive with strong constitutional supremacy; the Constitutional Court may declare conduct of any branch invalid. | Unitary. Parliament legislates for the whole country and there are no states or provinces. Regional and territorial authorities exist only under the Local Government Act 2002 and exercise delegated statutory powers. Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory, while the Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing in free association with New Zealand and have their own legal systems. |
| How law is made | Bills are tagged by subject matter, pass the National Assembly and, where provinces are affected, the NCOP, before presidential assent; the President may refer a bill to the Constitutional Court. | A bill has a first reading, select committee scrutiny (usually with public submissions), second reading, committee of the whole House, and third reading, followed by Royal assent. There is no upper house, so the select committee stage carries the weight that a second chamber would elsewhere. The Attorney-General must report to the House under section 7 of the Bill of Rights Act on any bill that appears inconsistent with protected rights, but the House may pass it anyway. Reserved provisions of the Electoral Act 1993 require either 75% of all members or a majority at referendum. |
| Legal profession | The Legal Practice Act 2014 unified regulation under the Legal Practice Council, retaining the attorney and advocate distinction. | A fused profession under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006: a lawyer is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court, and may then practise as a barrister sole or in a firm. Admission requires an approved law degree, the Professional Legal Studies Course and a certificate of character. The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kฤhui Ture o Aotearoa regulates the profession, and King's Counsel are appointed from senior practitioners. |
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 โ the constitutional detail behind a one-line summary is often the part that governs the outcome.