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 | Sri LankaReviewed | Guinea-BissauIndexed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed civil, common and customary law | Civil law (Portuguese tradition) |
| System of government | Semi-presidential republic | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | Constitution of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau |
| In force since | 1978 | 1984 |
| Capital | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | Bissau |
| Official languages | Sinhala, Tamil, English | Portuguese, Guinea-Bissau Creole |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
| Population | 22,200,000 | 2,100,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary with a devolved provincial layer created by the Thirteenth Amendment of 1987, which established nine provincial councils with legislative competence over a devolved list. Devolution has been contested and uneven; provincial councils have operated without elections since 2018, and the Northern and Eastern provinces' status was central to the conflict that ended in 2009. | Semi-presidential with a directly elected President, a Prime Minister accountable to the National People's Assembly, and a judiciary headed by the Supreme Court of Justice. |
| How law is made | Bills are published in the Gazette at least seven days before first reading, which is the trigger for the one-week window to petition the Supreme Court. A bill inconsistent with the Constitution needs a two-thirds majority, and in some cases a referendum. After enactment the Speaker's certificate is conclusive and the Act is immune from challenge. | Bills are debated and voted by the National People's Assembly and promulgated by the President, who may veto or seek review by the Supreme Court. |
| Legal profession | A single fused profession: attorneys-at-law are admitted and enrolled by the Supreme Court after the Sri Lanka Law College course and examinations, or a recognised law degree plus the final examination. The historic split between advocates and proctors was abolished in 1974. President's Counsel is a distinction conferred by the President. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka represents the profession, and attorneys have rights of audience in all courts from admission. | Advogados admitted through the Ordem dos Advogados da Guiné-Bissau; the profession is small and concentrated in Bissau. |
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.