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 | United KingdomReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed civil, common and customary law | Common law |
| System of government | Semi-presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka | Uncodified constitution |
| In force since | 1978 | 1215 |
| Capital | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | London |
| Official languages | Sinhala, Tamil, English | English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic |
| Currency | Sri Lankan rupee (LKR) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Population | 22,200,000 | 68,500,000 |
| 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. | The executive sits inside the legislature. Judicial independence was strengthened in 2005 when the Supreme Court replaced the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords. |
| 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. | First reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage and third reading in each House, then ping-pong on amendments, then Royal Assent. |
| 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. | A split profession: solicitors (regulated by the SRA) advise and conduct litigation; barristers (Bar Standards Board) hold rights of audience in the higher 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.