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 | TogoReviewed | MalawiReviewed | UgandaReviewed | NamibiaReviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Civil law (French tradition) | English common law with customary law | Mixed (common law and customary law) | Mixed Roman-Dutch and English common law |
| System of government | Unitary parliamentary republic | Presidential republic | Unitary presidential republic | Semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Fifth Republic | Constitution of the Republic of Malawi | Constitution of the Republic of Uganda | Constitution of the Republic of Namibia |
| In force since | 1992 | 1994 | 1995 | 1990 |
| Capital | Lomé | Lilongwe | Kampala | Windhoek |
| Official languages | French, Ewe, Kabiyé | English, Chichewa | English, Swahili, Luganda | English |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) | Malawian kwacha (MWK) | Ugandan Shilling (UGX) | Namibian dollar (NAD) |
| Population | 9,100,000 | 20,900,000 | 48,600,000 | 2,600,000 |
| Division of powers | Since 2024 a parliamentary system: a President of the Council of Ministers accountable to the National Assembly, a ceremonial President of the Republic, and a bicameral legislature with a Senate. | Unitary with three regions and 28 districts administered by local councils. Traditional authorities exercise recognised functions over customary land and local dispute resolution. | Presidential system with a Prime Minister, a unicameral Parliament, and a judiciary in which the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal (sitting also as the Constitutional Court) and High Court form the superior courts. | Unitary with 14 administrative regions and elected regional councils, which also constitute the National Council, the upper chamber. Traditional authorities exercise recognised functions over communal land and customary law. |
| How law is made | Bills are considered in committee and plenary in both chambers, then promulgated. The Cour constitutionnelle may review a text before promulgation on referral. | Bills pass three readings in the National Assembly with committee scrutiny and are presented for presidential assent, which must be given or withheld within 21 days. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, and amendments affecting entrenched provisions additionally require a referendum. | Bills receive three readings with committee scrutiny; certificates of financial implication are required for money bills. The President assents, returns the bill twice with recommendations, or it becomes law if passed a third time by two-thirds. | Bills pass the National Assembly through three readings, then go to the National Council for review. The Council may confirm, propose amendments, or object; the Assembly can override an objection by a two-thirds majority. The President then assents, and constitutional amendments require two-thirds of both chambers and may never diminish the rights chapter. |
| Legal profession | Avocats admitted through the Barreau du Togo; notaires and huissiers are separate regulated offices. | A fused profession of legal practitioners admitted by the High Court after a law degree, regulated by the Malawi Law Society under the Legal Education and Legal Practitioners Act. | Fused; an LLB, the Law Development Centre post-graduate diploma and enrolment admit an advocate. The Uganda Law Society is the professional body. | A fused profession under the Legal Practitioners Act: a single class of legal practitioner is admitted after a law degree and the Justice Training Centre's postgraduate course, and the Law Society of Namibia regulates practice. |
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.