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 | United Arab EmiratesReviewed | São Tomé and PrÃncipeIndexed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed (civil law and Islamic law, with common-law financial free zones) | Civil law (Portuguese tradition) |
| System of government | Federal elective monarchy | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the United Arab Emirates | Constitution of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and PrÃncipe |
| In force since | 1971 | 1990 |
| Capital | Abu Dhabi | São Tomé |
| Official languages | Arabic | Portuguese |
| Currency | UAE dirham (AED) | São Tomé and PrÃncipe Dobra (STN) |
| Population | 10,500,000 | 230,000 |
| Division of powers | Federal, and asymmetric in practice. Seven emirates, of which Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah maintain their own separate local court systems outside the federal judiciary entirely, while the others are integrated into it. Each emirate legislates in its own sphere, and the two financial free zones are separate legal jurisdictions with civil and commercial competence. | Semi-presidential: a directly elected President with veto and dissolution powers, a Prime Minister accountable to the National Assembly, and an independent judiciary. |
| How law is made | Draft federal legislation is prepared by the Council of Ministers, reviewed by the Federal National Council, approved by the Supreme Council of Rulers and ratified by the President before publication in the Official Gazette. The Federal National Council may propose amendments but the Supreme Council may enact legislation over its objection. Much regulation now issues as federal decree-laws. Free-zone legislation is enacted by the DIFC and ADGM authorities under their own procedures. | Bills are debated and voted by the National Assembly and sent to the President for promulgation; the President may veto, returning the text with a message. |
| Legal profession | Onshore advocacy before the federal and local courts is reserved to UAE nationals licensed by the Ministry of Justice, with foreign lawyers practising as legal consultants; pleadings onshore must be in Arabic. The DIFC and ADGM courts, by contrast, admit registered practitioners from any common-law jurisdiction and conduct proceedings in English, which is the principal practical reason parties opt into them. Notarisation before a public notary is required for powers of attorney, share transfers and real property dispositions. | Advogados admitted through the Ordem dos Advogados; the profession is very small and many practitioners train in Portugal. |
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.