Comoros · Overview
The legal system of Comoros
French civil-law codes layered over an Islamic personal-status law applied by qadi courts, within a federation in which each island retains substantial autonomy and its own governor. The applicable law depends on subject matter: personal status — marriage, divorce, inheritance — is governed by Islamic law before the qadis, while commercial and administrative matters follow the French codes. Island-level autonomy means administrative competence is genuinely divided, and identifying the responsible authority is a recurring practical problem.
Legal tradition
Comoros belongs to the mixed french civil law and islamic law tradition. French civil-law codes layered over an Islamic personal-status law applied by qadi courts, within a federation in which each island retains substantial autonomy and its own governor. The applicable law depends on subject matter: personal status — marriage, divorce, inheritance — is governed by Islamic law before the qadis, while commercial and administrative matters follow the French codes. Island-level autonomy means administrative competence is genuinely divided, and identifying the responsible authority is a recurring practical problem.
How power is divided
Federal. Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli each have a governor and their own assembly with substantial autonomy over local administration, while the Union handles defence, currency, foreign affairs and nationality.
Where law comes from
- Constitution
- Supreme law; substantially revised in 2018.
- French-derived codes
- Civil, commercial and criminal codes and procedure.
- Islamic law
- Governs personal status, applied by qadi courts.
- Island legislation
- Each island legislates within its autonomous competence.
- International treaties
- Ratified treaties rank above ordinary statute.
The legal profession
A small bar of avocats admitted after French-model legal training, supplemented by qadis who require religious-law qualification for the personal-status jurisdiction; many practitioners train in France or Madagascar.
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