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 | TajikistanReviewed | IranReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law | Islamic law with civil law codification |
| System of government | Presidential republic | Islamic republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Tajikistan | Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran |
| In force since | 1994 | 1979 |
| Capital | Dushanbe | Tehran |
| Official languages | Tajik, Russian | Persian |
| Currency | Tajikistani somoni (TJS) | Rial (IRR) |
| Population | 10,400,000 | 89,000,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary with one autonomous unit. Two regions (Sughd and Khatlon), the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, the districts of republican subordination and the city of Dushanbe. Gorno-Badakhshan's autonomy is constitutionally entrenched and it has its own assembly, but the practical scope of that autonomy has narrowed substantially, particularly after the security operations in the region in 2021-22. Regional and district chairmen are appointed by the President. | Unitary, with 31 provinces headed by governors-general appointed by the Interior Ministry, alongside elected city and village councils created by the Constitution and operating since 1999 with limited competences. |
| How law is made | Bills are introduced in the Assembly of Representatives by deputies, the President, the Government or the Assembly of Gorno-Badakhshan. After adoption they go to the National Assembly for approval; disagreement is resolved by a conciliation commission or by a two-thirds vote of the lower chamber. The President signs and promulgates, and may return a law for reconsideration. Constitutional amendments require a referendum, which is how each of the three amendment packages was adopted. | A bill is introduced by the Government or by at least fifteen deputies, passes the Majlis, and goes to the Guardian Council, which has ten days, extendable, to find it consistent with Islam and the Constitution. If the Council objects, the bill returns for amendment; persistent disagreement goes to the Expediency Discernment Council, whose decision is final. Only then does the President sign and publish. |
| Legal profession | Advocates are licensed under the Law on the Bar and Advocacy 2015, which introduced a state qualification commission under the Ministry of Justice and required existing advocates to re-sit examinations — a change that sharply reduced the number of licensed practitioners. Membership of the Union of Advocates is mandatory. Only licensed advocates may act as criminal defence counsel. Notaries are separately licensed and their participation is compulsory for property transfers, mortgages and many family instruments. | Two parallel routes to practice, which is unusual and consequential: attorneys licensed by the Iranian Bar Association (Kanoon-e Vokala), a self-governing body dating to 1953, and attorneys licensed under Article 187 of the Third Development Plan directly by the judiciary. The two groups have contested each other's standing for two decades. Notaries operate licensed offices under the registration organisation, and their authentication is required for property transfers, marriage contracts and powers of attorney. |
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.