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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Comparison of selected legal systems
Attribute	United KingdomReviewed	EcuadorReviewed
Legal family	Common law	Civil law
System of government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy	Unitary presidential republic
Constitution	Uncodified constitution	Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador
In force since	1215	2008
Capital	London	Quito
Official languages	English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic	Spanish, Quechua, Shuar
Currency	Pound Sterling (GBP)	United States dollar (USD)
Population	68,500,000	18,200,000
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 and decentralised, with twenty-four provinces and autonomous decentralised governments at provincial, cantonal and parish level. Indigenous authorities exercise their own jurisdiction under Article 171, subject to constitutional review.
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.	Bills go to the Assembly from members, the President, the Court, citizens or autonomous governments, and need two debates. The President may fully or partially object; a full objection can only be overcome after a year or by a two-thirds vote. Urgent economic bills become law by decree if the Assembly fails to act in thirty days. Amendment routes differ by depth, from Assembly vote to constituent assembly.
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.	A law degree plus registration in the Forense registry of the Consejo de la Judicatura, and usually membership of a provincial colegio de abogados. The Judicature Council holds disciplinary power. Public defence is provided by the Defensoría Pública, a separate autonomous body.

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.