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 | VanuatuReviewed | SeychellesReviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal family | Mixed common, civil and customary law | Mixed French civil law and English common law |
| System of government | Unitary parliamentary republic | Presidential republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu | Constitution of the Republic of Seychelles |
| In force since | 1980 | 1993 |
| Capital | Port Vila | Victoria |
| Official languages | Bislama, English, French | Seychellois Creole, English, French |
| Currency | Vanuatu vatu (VUV) | Seychellois rupee (SCR) |
| Population | 330,000 | 130,000 |
| Division of powers | Unitary with decentralised administration. Six provinces — Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea and Torba — have councils under the Decentralisation Act with delegated functions. Custom land management is decentralised much further, to area-level Custom Land Tribunals and nakamal-based decision-making under the Custom Land Management Act 2013. | Unitary with 27 administrative districts. The outer islands are administered centrally, and the Seychelles' extensive exclusive economic zone is a significant focus of regulation. |
| How law is made | Bills are read three times in the single chamber and assented to by the President, who may refer a bill to the Supreme Court if he considers it inconsistent with the Constitution. Ordinary bills need a simple majority of members present, with a quorum of two-thirds. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority of all members; if the amendment touches the status of Bislama, English or French, land, or the republican form of the state, it must also be approved at a national referendum. | Bills pass the National Assembly with committee scrutiny and receive presidential assent; the President may refer a bill to the Constitutional Court on a question of constitutionality before assent. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority, and amendments to certain protected provisions additionally require a referendum. |
| Legal profession | A fused profession regulated by the Legal Practitioners Act: practitioners are admitted by the Chief Justice and licensed by the Law Council. The University of the South Pacific's law school is in Port Vila, so many Pacific lawyers train in Vanuatu. Practitioners may need to work in Bislama, English or French depending on the client and the court file, and the Public Solicitor is a constitutional office rather than a discretionary aid scheme. | A fused profession of attorneys-at-law admitted by the Supreme Court after a recognised law qualification and pupillage, with the Bar Association of Seychelles representing practitioners. |
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.