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 KingdomReviewed | ChinaReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Common law | Socialist civil law |
| System of government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Socialist one-party republic |
| Constitution | Uncodified constitution | Constitution of the People's Republic of China |
| In force since | 1215 | 1982 |
| Capital | London | Beijing |
| Official languages | English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic | Standard Chinese (Putonghua) |
| Currency | Pound Sterling (GBP) | Renminbi (CNY) |
| Population | 68,500,000 | 1,410,000,000 |
| Division of powers | 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. | Unitary, with a highly asymmetric structure: 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly administered municipalities and two special administrative regions. Hong Kong and Macao operate under 'one country, two systems' with their own Basic Laws, their own courts of final appeal, and legal systems that remain common-law and Portuguese-derived civil-law respectively. Provincial people's congresses may enact local regulations that must not contravene national law. |
| How law is made | First reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage and third reading in each House, then ping-pong on amendments, then Royal Assent. | The NPC meets in plenary once a year, so the Standing Committee enacts most legislation. A bill is normally read three times under the Legislation Law, with drafts published for public comment — the Civil Code drafts drew over a million submissions. The NPCSC also has power to interpret laws, which it exercises as a substantive lawmaking tool. There is no presidential veto: the President promulgates what the NPC or its Standing Committee has passed. |
| Legal profession | A split profession: solicitors (regulated by the SRA) advise and conduct litigation; barristers (Bar Standards Board) hold rights of audience in the higher courts. | Lawyers are licensed under the Lawyers Law after passing the National Unified Legal Profession Qualification Examination, which since 2018 has also been the common entry route for judges, prosecutors and notaries. Firms are licensed and subject to annual inspection by provincial justice departments, and membership of the All China Lawyers Association is mandatory. A 2012 amendment to the Lawyers Law requires an oath that includes loyalty to the leadership of the Communist Party, and the annual licence renewal is the principal point of leverage over practitioners in politically sensitive work. |
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.