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 StatesReviewed | FranceReviewed | JapanReviewed | Holy See (Vatican City)Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Common law | Civil law | Civil law with common-law influence | Canon law and civil law |
| System of government | Federal presidential constitutional republic | Unitary semi-presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Ecclesiastical elective absolute monarchy |
| Constitution | Constitution of the United States | Constitution of the Fifth Republic | Constitution of Japan | Fundamental Law of Vatican City State |
| In force since | 1789 | 1958 | 1947 | 2023 |
| Capital | Washington, D.C. | Paris | Tokyo | Vatican City |
| Official languages | English, Spanish | French | Japanese | Italian, Latin |
| Currency | US Dollar (USD) | Euro (EUR) | Japanese Yen (JPY) | Euro (EUR) |
| Population | 335,000,000 | 68,200,000 | 123,500,000 | 800 |
| Division of powers | Strict separation between Congress, the President and the federal judiciary, checked by veto, impeachment, advice-and-consent over appointments, and judicial review established in Marbury v. Madison (1803). | Semi-presidential: the President holds reserved powers over defence and foreign affairs; the Government answers to Parliament. The Conseil constitutionnel reviews statutes before promulgation and, since 2008, on referral from litigation. | Parliamentary government with the Cabinet collectively responsible to the Diet, and a Supreme Court holding the final power of constitutional review. | Power is concentrated in the Supreme Pontiff, exercised through the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (legislative), the Governorate (executive) and the Vatican tribunals (judicial). |
| How law is made | A bill is introduced in either chamber, referred to committee, reported, debated and voted. It must pass both chambers in identical text, then be signed by the President or survive a veto by a two-thirds vote in each chamber. | A projet or proposition de loi shuttles between the chambers; the Assembly can be given the last word. Organic laws and constitutional amendments follow stricter routes. | Most bills are Cabinet-sponsored, drafted by ministries and reviewed by the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, then passed by both houses; the lower house can override the upper by a two-thirds majority. | Laws are prepared by the Pontifical Commission and take effect with the Pope’s approval, published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis supplement. |
| Legal profession | Admission is state-by-state: an accredited JD, a state bar examination, and a character and fitness review. There is no split between barristers and solicitors. | Avocats qualify through a CRFPA examination and the CAPA. Notaires, huissiers and avocats aux Conseils are separate regulated professions. | Candidates pass the national bar examination, then complete a year at the Legal Training and Research Institute before qualifying as bengoshi, judge or prosecutor. | Advocates are enrolled with the Vatican tribunals; canon lawyers (canonists) practise before ecclesiastical courts. |
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.