Comparison
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| Attribute | South AfricaReviewed | SomaliaIndexed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed: Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, customary law | Pluralist: Islamic, customary and civil law |
| System of government | Parliamentary republic | Federal parliamentary republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 | Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia |
| In force since | 1996 | 2012 |
| Capital | Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) | Mogadishu |
| Official languages | isiZulu, English, Afrikaans, +9 official languages | Somali, Arabic |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Somali shilling (SOS) |
| Population | 61,000,000 | 18,100,000 |
| Division of powers | Parliamentary executive with strong constitutional supremacy; the Constitutional Court may declare conduct of any branch invalid. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Legal profession | The Legal Practice Act 2014 unified regulation under the Legal Practice Council, retaining the attorney and advocate distinction. | 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. |
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.