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 | SpainReviewed | DenmarkReviewed | DR CongoReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Civil law (Nordic) | Civil law (Belgian tradition) |
| System of government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Constitutional monarchy | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Spanish Constitution | Constitutional Act of Denmark (Grundloven) | Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| In force since | 1978 | 1953 | 2006 |
| Capital | Madrid | Copenhagen | Kinshasa |
| Official languages | Spanish | Danish | French, Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo, Tshiluba |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Danish krone (DKK) | Congolese Franc (CDF) |
| Population | 48,400,000 | 5,900,000 | 102,300,000 |
| Division of powers | A constitutional monarchy with the King as head of state, an executive led by the President of the Government, a bicameral parliament and an independent judiciary, overlaid by extensive regional self-government. | Parliamentary government in which the cabinet is drawn from and answerable to the Folketing, with an independent unified judiciary. | Semi-presidential: a directly elected President, a Prime Minister from the parliamentary majority, and a bicameral Parliament. The 2006 constitution split the former Supreme Court into three separate apex courts. |
| How law is made | Bills pass both chambers of the Cortes Generales, with the Congress of Deputies able to override the Senate, and receive royal assent. | Bills pass three readings in the Folketing and receive royal assent. A minority of members can require certain bills to be put to a referendum. | Bills pass both chambers; persistent disagreement is resolved by a joint commission or a final National Assembly vote. The President promulgates within the constitutional period, and the Constitutional Court may be seised beforehand. |
| Legal profession | Abogados belong to local bar associations (colegios de abogados); procuradores represent parties procedurally and notaries authenticate deeds and company acts. | A single advokat profession admitted after a law degree, practical training and a bar course; judges are appointed from experienced lawyers. | Avocats admitted to provincial bars under the national Ordre des avocats after a law degree and traineeship; défenseurs judiciaires assist in lower courts. |
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.