Law Compare

How do countries' laws differ?

Pick two or three countries above to compare their legal system, constitution, courts and key legal ages side by side. 196 countries.

All Civil law 65Not listed 49Common law 25Other / see summary 12Common law + Civil law 8Civil law + Islamic law 8Common law + Islamic law 6Islamic law 5Civil law + Socialist law 5Common law + Civil law + Customary law 4Customary law 2Civil law + Customary law 2Common law + Customary law 1Common law + Civil law + Religious law 1Common law + Civil law + Islamic law 1Civil law + Religious law 1Civil law + Islamic law + Customary law 1

Popular: US vs UK · France vs Germany · Japan, Korea, China · Saudi Arabia vs UAE

CountryLegal systemGovernmentAge of majority
AfghanistanIslamic lawislamic theocracy; Emirate; unitary state18
AlbaniaCivil lawparliamentary system18
Algeria–people's republic; semi-presidential system18
AndorraCustomary lawparliamentary coprincipality–
AngolaCivil lawpresidential system; republic18
Antigua and BarbudaCommon lawconstitutional monarchy–
ArgentinaCivil lawfederal republic18
ArmeniaCivil lawunitary state; parliamentary system; republic18
AustraliaCommon lawrepresentative democracy; federation; constitutional monarchy18
AustriaCivil lawfederal parliamentary republic; semi-presidential system; republic18
AzerbaijanOther / see summaryunitary state; semi-presidential system; republic18
Bahrain–constitutional monarchy21
BangladeshCommon law + Islamic lawparliamentary republic; Westminster system–
BarbadosCommon lawparliamentary republic; unitary state18
BelarusCivil lawpresidential system; republic18
BelgiumCivil lawfederation18
BelizeCommon lawparliamentary monarchy; constitutional monarchy–
BeninCivil lawrepublic–
BhutanCommon lawconstitutional monarchy18
BoliviaCivil lawparliamentary republic; republic18
Bosnia and HerzegovinaCivil lawfederal parliamentary republic18
BotswanaOther / see summaryparliamentary republic–
BrazilCommon lawfederal republic; representative democracy; presidential system18
Brunei–Islamic state; absolute monarchy; unitary state18
BulgariaCivil lawparliamentary republic18
Burkina FasoCivil lawmilitary junta; republic–
BurundiCivil lawrepresentative democracy; presidential system21
Cambodia–constitutional monarchy18
CameroonCommon law + Civil lawrepublic21
CanadaCommon law + Civil lawparliamentary system; federation; constitutional monarchy–
Cape VerdeCivil lawparliamentary republic–
Central African RepublicCivil law––
ChadCivil law––
ChileCivil lawdemocratic republic18
ColombiaCivil lawrepublic18
Comoros–federal republic–
Costa RicaCivil law––
CroatiaCivil law + Socialist lawrepublic18
CubaOther / see summaryunitary state18
CyprusCommon law + Civil law + Religious lawpresidential system; republic18
Czech RepublicCivil law + Socialist lawparliamentary republic18
Democratic Republic of the CongoCivil lawrepublic–
Djibouti––18
DominicaCommon law–18
Dominican RepublicCivil law–18
EcuadorCivil lawpresidential system; republic18
EgyptCivil law + Islamic lawrepublic21
El SalvadorOther / see summaryrepresentative democracy; presidential system; republic18
Equatorial Guinea––18
EritreaOther / see summary––
EstoniaCivil lawparliamentary republic18
EswatiniCommon lawabsolute monarchy21
Ethiopia–federal republic–
Federated States of Micronesia–federal republic–
FijiCommon law–18
FinlandOther / see summaryparliamentary republic18
FranceCivil lawsemi-presidential system18
GabonCivil lawpresidential system18
GeorgiaCivil lawparliamentary republic; unitary state; semi-presidential system; presidential system–
GermanyCivil lawfederal parliamentary republic18
GhanaCommon lawdemocracy–
GreeceCivil lawparliamentary republic18
GrenadaCommon law––
GuatemalaCivil lawrepresentative democracy; presidential system18
GuineaCivil law + Customary lawrepublic18
Guinea-BissauCivil law––
GuyanaCommon law + Civil lawparliamentary republic18
HaitiCivil law––
Honduras–republic21
HungaryCivil lawparliamentary republic18
IcelandOther / see summaryparliamentary republic18
IndiaCivil law + Customary lawdemocratic republic; constitutional republic; federal republic; republic18
IndonesiaCivil law + Islamic law + Customary lawpresidential system; republic21
IranIslamic lawislamic theocracy; Islamic Republic; unitary state; presidential system–
Iraq–federal republic; federation–
IrelandCommon lawparliamentary republic; unitary state18
IsraelCommon law + Civil law + Islamic lawparliamentary republic; unitary state18
Italy–parliamentary republic18
Ivory CoastCivil lawrepublic21
JamaicaCommon law–18
JapanCommon law + Civil lawconstitutional monarchy18
JordanCivil law + Islamic law––
Kazakhstan–presidential system–
KenyaCommon law + Civil law + Customary law–18
Kingdom of the NetherlandsCivil lawconstitutional monarchy–
KiribatiCommon law––
Kosovo–parliamentary republic–
Kuwait–constitutional monarchy–
Kyrgyzstan–parliamentary republic16
Laos–communist dictatorship; people's republic18
LatviaCivil lawparliamentary republic; republic18
LebanonCivil lawparliamentary republic18
LesothoOther / see summaryconstitutional monarchy21
LiberiaCustomary lawconstitutional republic; Herrenvolk democracy; presidential system; republic–
Libya–republic–
Liechtenstein–constitutional monarchy18
LithuaniaCivil lawparliamentary republic; semi-presidential system18
LuxembourgCivil lawconstitutional monarchy18
Madagascar–republic–
Malawi–––
MalaysiaCommon law + Islamic lawparliamentary monarchy; federal monarchy; elective monarchy; federation; constitutional monarchy18
Maldives––18
Mali–––
MaltaCommon law + Civil lawparliamentary democracy18
Marshall IslandsOther / see summary––
MauritaniaCivil law + Islamic lawpresidential system18
MauritiusCivil law + Islamic lawparliamentary republic–
MexicoCivil lawdemocratic republic; constitutional republic; federal republic; presidential system; empire18
Moldova–parliamentary republic; unitary state18
Monaco–hereditary monarchy; constitutional monarchy21
MongoliaCivil lawparliamentary system–
MontenegroCivil lawrepublic–
MoroccoCivil law + Islamic lawconstitutional monarchy–
MozambiqueCivil law–18
MyanmarCommon lawrepublic–
NamibiaOther / see summary–21
NauruCommon law––
NepalCommon lawfederal republic; people's republic16
New ZealandCommon lawparliamentary monarchy20
Nicaragua–republic–
Niger–––
NigeriaCommon law + Islamic lawfederal republic–
North Korea–communist dictatorship; family dictatorship; socialist state; Juche; unitary state; one-party state; republic17
North Macedonia–parliamentary republic18
NorwayCivil lawrepresentative democracy; unitary state; parliamentary system; constitutional monarchy18
Oman–absolute monarchy18
PakistanCommon law + Islamic lawparliamentary republic; federal republic18
PalauOther / see summary––
Palestine–parliamentary republic; semi-presidential system; unitary state18
Panama–presidential system18
Papua New GuineaCommon law + Customary law––
ParaguayCivil law–18
People's Republic of ChinaCivil law + Socialist lawpeople's republic18
PeruCivil lawpresidential system18
PhilippinesCommon law + Islamic lawrepublic21
PolandCivil lawunitary state; semi-presidential system; parliamentary system18
PortugalCivil lawrepublic18
QatarCivil law + Islamic lawconstitutional monarchy18
Republic of the CongoCivil lawparliamentary republic18
RomaniaCivil lawunitary state; semi-presidential system18
RussiaCivil law + Socialist lawsuper-presidential republic18
RwandaCommon law + Civil lawsemi-presidential system18
Saint Kitts and NevisCommon lawfederal monarchy; constitutional monarchy18
Saint Lucia–constitutional monarchy–
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesCommon lawconstitutional monarchy–
Samoa–––
San Marino–diarchy; parliamentary republic–
Saudi ArabiaIslamic lawislamic theocracy; absolute monarchy; monarchy18
Senegal–presidential system18
SerbiaCivil lawparliamentary republic18
SeychellesCommon law + Civil law–18
Sierra Leone–presidential system21
SingaporeCommon law + Islamic lawparliamentary republic21
SlovakiaCivil law + Socialist lawparliamentary republic18
SloveniaCivil lawdemocratic republic18
Solomon Islands–––
Somalia–federal republic–
South AfricaCommon law + Civil law + Customary lawparliamentary republic; representative democracy; apartheid18
South KoreaCivil lawpresidential system; republic19
South Sudan–federal republic–
SpainCivil lawparliamentary monarchy18
Sri LankaCommon law + Civil law + Customary lawrepublic–
Sudan–federal republic18
SurinameCivil lawrepublic–
SwedenCivil lawrepresentative democracy; constitutional monarchy18
SwitzerlandCivil lawdirectorial system; federal republic20
SyriaCivil law + Islamic lawprovisional government18
São Tomé and PríncipeCivil law––
TaiwanCivil lawdemocratic republic; constitutional republic; semi-presidential system; democracy18
Tajikistan–presidential system17
Tanzania––18
ThailandIslamic lawparliamentary monarchy; constitutional monarchy20
The BahamasCommon lawconstitutional monarchy18
The Gambia–republic–
Timor-LesteCivil lawunitary state; semi-presidential system; republic–
Togo–––
TongaCommon law––
Trinidad and TobagoCommon lawparliamentary republic18
Tunisia–parliamentary republic; semi-presidential system; presidential system18
TurkeyCivil lawunitary state; presidential system30
Turkmenistan–presidential system; republic16
TuvaluCommon law––
UgandaCommon lawpresidential system–
UkraineCivil lawsemi-presidential system18
United Arab EmiratesCivil law + Islamic lawfederal monarchy; absolute monarchy; constitutional monarchy–
United Kingdom–constitutional monarchy18
United StatesCommon law + Civil lawdemocratic republic; constitutional republic–
UruguayCivil lawparticipatory democracy; presidential system; republic18
UzbekistanCivil lawpresidential system16
VanuatuCommon law + Civil law + Customary law––
Vatican CityCivil law + Religious lawpapacy; theocracy; constitutional monarchy–
VenezuelaCivil lawfederal republic; presidential system18
VietnamCivil lawunitary state; one-party state; republic18
YemenIslamic lawpresidential system; republic16
Zambia–representative democracy; presidential system–
ZimbabweOther / see summary––