Legal Systems Around the World
When researching foreign law, it is often best to start by answering a very basic question: what kind of legal system does the country you're researching have? Types of legal systems include common law, civil law, Muslim law (also referred to as Islamic law or religious law), customary law, and also systems that are a combination one or more of those (often referred to as "mixed"). By first understanding the type of legal system you'll have a better understanding of what types of primary law may be available. Below are a few resources that can give you a quick understanding of the legal system associated with the country you are researching.
- JuriGlobe - World Legal Systems [University of Ottawa]Features a world map that uses color to indicate nations that operate under civil law, common law, customary law, Muslim law, and mixed legal systems. Briefly describes each type of legal system. A quick list of legal system by country is available here.
- CIA World Factbook - Legal SystemsProvides an overview of the legal system in each country.
Books:
Legal Systems of the World by Publication Date: 2002
Legal Traditions of the World by Publication Date: 2014
Mixed Legal Systems, East and West by Publication Date: 2015
