The CIA World Factbook Edition 2019 Government
Legal system In 36 editions of 36.
Legal system was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 2019 edition carries it in 256 entries, in its Government section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.
- entries in the 2019 edition
- 256
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Legal system” (1990 to 2025).
the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Legal system, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.
No entries match. Try a shorter word.
Entries with Legal system in each edition
Select a bar to open that edition.
World
1 entryWorld
- the legal systems of nearly all countries are generally modeled upon elements of five main types: civil law (including French law, the Napoleonic Code, Roman law, Roman-Dutch law, and Spanish law);
- common law (including English and US law);
- customary law;
- mixed or pluralistic law;
- and religious law (including Islamic sharia law);
- an additional type of legal system - international law - governs the conduct of independent nations in their relationships with one another
Africa
54 entriesAlgeria
- mixed legal system of French civil law and Islamic law;
- judicial review of legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials including several Supreme Court justices
Botswana
mixed legal system of civil law influenced by the Roman-Dutch model and also customary and common law
Burkina Faso
civil law based on the French model and customary law; in mid-2019, the National Assembly amended the penal code
Comoros
mixed legal system of Islamic religious law, the French civil code of 1975, and customary law
Congo, Democratic Republic of the now Democratic Republic of the Congo
civil law system primarily based on Belgian law, but also customary and tribal law
Congo, Republic of the now Republic of the Congo
mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law
Cote d'Ivoire now Cote d'Ivoire
civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court
Djibouti
mixed legal system based primarily on the French civil code (as it existed in 1997), Islamic religious law (in matters of family law and successions), and customary law
Egypt
- mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws;
- judicial review of the constitutionality of laws by the Supreme Constitutional Court
Guinea-Bissau
mixed legal system of civil law, which incorporated Portuguese law at independence and influenced by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), African Francophone Public Law, and customary law
Kenya
mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law, and customary law; judicial review in the new Supreme Court established by the new constitution
Lesotho
mixed legal system of English common law and Roman-Dutch law; judicial review of legislative acts in High Court and Court of Appeal
Madagascar
civil law system based on the old French civil code and customary law in matters of marriage, family, and obligation
Malawi
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Appeal
Mali
civil law system based on the French civil law model and influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Constitutional Court
Morocco
mixed legal system of civil law based on French civil law and Islamic (sharia) law; judicial review of legislative acts by Constitutional Court
Mozambique
- mixed legal system of Portuguese civil law and customary law;
- note - in rural, apply where applicable predominantly Muslim villages with no formal legal system, Islamic law may be applied
Nigeria
mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law
Rwanda
mixed legal system of civil law, based on German and Belgian models, and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
Sao Tome and Principe
mixed legal system of civil law based on the Portuguese model and customary law
Senegal
civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Court
Somalia
mixed legal system of civil law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law (referred to as Xeer)
Tanzania
English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation
Tunisia
- mixed legal system of civil law, based on the French civil code and Islamic (sharia) law;
- some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Antarctic Region
5 entriesAntarctica
- Antarctica is administered through annual meetings - known as Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings - which include consultative member nations, non-consultative member nations, observer organizations, and expert organizations;
- decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws;
- more generally, the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal instruments and procedures adopted by the states party to the Antarctic Treaty;
- note - US law, including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such as murder, may apply extraterritoriality;
- some US laws directly apply to Antarctica;
- for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties for the following activities unless authorized by regulation or statute: the taking of native mammals or birds;
- the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals;
- entry into specially protected areas;
- the discharge or disposal of pollutants;
- and the importation into the US of certain items from Antarctica;
- violation of the Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and one year in prison;
- the National Science Foundation and Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities;
- Public Law 95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in 1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in advance, the Office of Oceans and Polar Affairs, Room 2665, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as required by the Antarctic Treaty;
- for more information, contact [email protected]
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands now South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- the laws of the UK,
- where applicable,
- apply
Arctic Region
4 entriesSvalbard
- the laws of Norway where applicable apply;
- only the laws of Norway made explicitly applicable to Svalbard have effect there;
- the Svalbard Act and the Svalbard Environmental Protection Act, and certain regulations, apply only to Svalbard;
- the Spitsbergen Treaty and the Svalbard Treaty grant certain rights to citizens and corporations of signatory nations;
- as of June 2017, 45 nations had ratified the Svalbard Treaty
Asia
23 entriesChina
- civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems;
- legislature retains power to interpret statutes;
- note - in March 2017, the National People's Congress passed a new civil code, the General Rules of Civil Law, which became effective the following October
India
- common law system based on the English model;
- separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus;
- judicial review of legislative acts
Japan
- civil law system based on German model;
- system also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions;
- judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
Kazakhstan
civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation
Korea, North now North Korea
civil law system based on the Prussian model; system influenced by Japanese traditions and Communist legal theory
Korea, South now South Korea
mixed legal system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Kyrgyzstan
civil law system, which includes features of French civil law and Russian Federation laws
Maldives
Islamic (sharia) legal system with English common law influences, primarily in commercial matters
Mongolia
civil law system influenced by Soviet and Romano-Germanic legal systems; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts
Nepal
English common law and Hindu legal concepts; note - new criminal and civil codes came into effect on 17 August 2018
Sri Lanka
mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, Jaffna Tamil customary law, and Muslim personal law
Central America and the Caribbean
33 entriesCosta Rica
civil law system based on Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
Dominican Republic
civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system
El Salvador
civil law system with minor common law influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
Puerto Rico
civil law system based on the Spanish civil code and within the framework of the US federal system
Europe
49 entriesAlbania
civil law system except in the northern rural areas where customary law known as the "Code of Leke" is still present
Belarus
civil law system; note - nearly all major codes (civil, civil procedure, criminal, criminal procedure, family, and labor) were revised and came into force in 1999 and 2000
Belgium
- civil law system based on the French Civil Code;
- note - Belgian law continues to be modified in conformance with the legislative norms mandated by the European Union;
- judicial review of legislative acts
Croatia
- civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary;
- note - Croatian law was fully harmonized with the European Community acquis as of the June 2010 completion of EU accession negotiations
Czechia
new civil code enacted in 2014, replacing civil code of 1964 - based on former Austro-Hungarian civil codes and socialist theory - and reintroducing former Czech legal terminology
European Union
- unique supranational law system in which, according to an interpretive declaration of member-state governments appended to the Treaty of Lisbon, "the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States" under conditions laid down in the case law of the Court of Justice;
- key principles of EU law include fundamental rights as guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights and as resulting from constitutional traditions common to the EU's 28-member states;
- EU law is divided into 'primary' and 'secondary' legislation;
- primary legislation is derived from the consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and are the basis for all EU action;
- secondary legislation - which includes directives, regulations, and decisions - is derived from the principles and objectives set out in the treaties
Guernsey
customary legal system based on Norman customary law; includes elements of the French civil code and English common law
Ireland
common law system based on the English model but substantially modified by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts by Supreme Court
Italy
civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in Constitutional Court
Kosovo
civil law system; note - the European Union Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) retained limited executive powers within the Kosovo judiciary for complex cases from 2008 to 2018
Malta
mixed legal system of English common law and civil law based on the Roman and Napoleonic civil codes; subject to European Union law
Moldova
civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
Netherlands
civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of the States General
Norway
mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law; Supreme Court can advise on legislative acts
Poland
- civil law system;
- judicial review of legislative, administrative, and other governmental acts;
- constitutional law rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal are final
Slovakia
- civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes;
- note - legal code modified to comply with the obligations of Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Switzerland
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except for federal decrees of a general obligatory character
United Kingdom
common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998
Middle East
17 entriesAkrotiri
- laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus;
- note - the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters
Bahrain
mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law
Dhekelia
- laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus;
- note - the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters
Israel
mixed legal system of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious laws
Jordan
mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law
Kuwait
mixed legal system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic sharia law
Lebanon
mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities
Saudi Arabia
- Islamic (sharia) legal system with some elements of Egyptian, French, and customary law;
- note - several secular codes have been introduced;
- commercial disputes handled by special committees
Turkey now Turkiye
civil law system based on various European legal systems, notably the Swiss civil code
Yemen
mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, Napoleonic law, English common law, and customary law
North America
6 entriesUnited States
- common law system based on English common law at the federal level;
- state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code;
- judicial review of legislative acts
Oceania
34 entriesMicronesia, Federated States of now Federated States of Micronesia
mixed legal system of common and customary law
New Zealand
- common law system,
- based on English model,
- with special legislation and land courts for the Maori
Samoa
mixed legal system of English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen
South America
13 entriesArgentina
civil law system based on West European legal systems; note - in mid-2015, Argentina adopted a new civil code, replacing the old one in force since 1871
Bolivia
civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law
Chile
civil law system influenced by several West European civil legal systems; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Tribunal
Ecuador
civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications; traditional law in indigenous communities
Paraguay
civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice
Suriname
civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law; note - a new criminal code was enacted in 2017
Southeast Asia
17 entriesAshmore and Cartier Islands
the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply
Brunei
- mixed legal system based on English common law and Islamic law;
- note - in April 2019, the full sharia penal codes came into force and apply to Muslims and non-Muslims in parallel with present common law codes
Burma now Burma (Myanmar)
mixed legal system of English common law (as introduced in codifications designed for colonial India) and customary law
Cambodia
civil law system (influenced by the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia) customary law, Communist legal theory, and common law
Christmas Island
legal system is under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Hong Kong
mixed legal system of common law based on the English model and Chinese customary law (in matters of family and land tenure)
Malaysia
- mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic (sharia) law, and customary law;
- judicial review of legislative acts in the Federal Court at request of supreme head of the federation
Timor-Leste
- civil law system based on the Portuguese model;
- note - penal and civil law codes to replace the Indonesian codes were passed by Parliament and promulgated in 2009 and 2011, respectively
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 2019, “Legal system”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/legal-system/2019.