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Common Law Status

Full

No

Partial

Common Law Countries 2024

Common law, also known as case law, is a legal system in which the main body of law is formed by court opinions, which play a defining role in determining how laws are interpreted and applied. In a common law system, previous court decisions are usually respected as precedent and applied to current decisions. Common law is often contrasted with civil law, in which the legal codes and statutes are more meticulous and less open to interpretation and previous court decisions do not necessarily influence the outcome of current cases.

Various systems of law often overlap one another. For example, both common law and civil law rely upon legislators to create the laws and the courts to settle disputes about them. As such, even legal scholars may sometimes disagree as to how a given country's system of law should be categorized. That said, common law is one of the most prevalent legal systems in the world by any measure. Approximately 40 countries and territories use common law, and roughly 60 more use it as part of a mixed legal system in which common law is blended with another form of law—typically civil, religious, or customary law. Common law originated in England in the years following the Norman Conquest of 1066 and spread around the world as England built its empire. Today, common law is used almost exclusively by countries that were once British colonies.

Common Law vs. Other Legal Systems

The only form of law more prevalent than common law is civil law, a system in which the body of law is primarily derived from legal statutes and codes created by legislatures. In civil law, judicial authorities use the civil code to evaluate cases and reach decisions. Civil systems also clearly define the cases that can be brought to court, the procedures for handling claims, and the punishments for an offense. Civil law, which originated in France, is similar to common law in many ways. Both share the goal of establishing consistent outcomes by applying the same standards of interpretation to each case. However, civil law focuses more on the written codes and statutes and has a reduced emphasis upon established legal precedent.

Additional forms of law include customary laws, in which patterns of behavior or cultural customs have been accepted as legal requirements or rules of conduct, as well as religious legal systems, in which religious texts or traditions define that country’s laws. Religious legal systems are commonly seen in Islamic countries. Many countries have mixed legal systems that combine multiple legal systems into a single hybrid system. Finally, both the United States and Canada follow common law on a national level, but have a single region (Louisiana and Quebec, respectively) that uses a civil law system.

226 Rows

Country
Common Law Status
Legal System
Additional Details
IndiaPartialMixed
Mix of common, customary, and religious (Islamic) law, with separate legal codes for Christians, Hin...
United StatesPartialMixed
Common law nationally and in 49 states; former French colony Louisiana uses civil code
PakistanPartialMixed
Largely common, but with religious (Islamic) influence
NigeriaPartialMixed
Mix of common, religious (Islamic), and traditional law
BangladeshPartialMixed
Mix of common law and religious (Islamic) law
PhilippinesPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, customary, and religious (Islamic) laws
ThailandPartialMixed
Largely civil, but influenced by common law
South AfricaPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary law
KenyaPartialMixed
Mix of common, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
MyanmarPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
SudanPartialMixed
Mix of common and religious (Islamic) law
UgandaPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
YemenPartialMixed
Mix of common, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
CanadaPartialMixed
Common law everywhere except Quebec, which uses civil law based upon French system
MalaysiaPartialMixed
Mix of comon, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
GhanaPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
NepalPartialMixed
Mix of common and religious (Hindu) law
CameroonPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary law
Sri LankaPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, customary, and religious (Muslim) law
MalawiPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
ZambiaPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
CambodiaPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, customary, and communist law
ZimbabwePartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary law
JordanPartialMixed
Mix of common, religious (Islamic), and civil law
Papua New GuineaPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary laws
IsraelPartialMixed
Mix of common and religious laws
Sierra LeonePartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
Hong KongPartialMixed
Mix of common, customary, and civil law
El SalvadorPartialMixed
Mostly civil, but with small common law influences
LiberiaPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
NorwayPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary laws
OmanPartialMixed
Mix of common and religious (Islamic) law
IrelandPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
KuwaitPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and religious (Islamic) law
GambiaPartialMixed
Mix of common, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
BotswanaPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary law
LesothoPartialMixed
Mix of common and civil law
BahrainPartialMixed
Mix of English common law; religious (Islamic) law; Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; ...
CyprusPartialMixed
Mix of common and civil law
MauritiusPartialMixed
Mix of common and civil law
EswatiniPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary law
GuyanaPartialMixed
Mostly common, but with slight civil law influence
Solomon IslandsPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
MaltaPartialMixed
Mix of common and civil law
MaldivesPartialMixed
Mix of common and religious (Islamic) law
BruneiPartialMixed
Mix of English common law and religious (Islamic) law. Full sharia penal codes apply to Muslims and ...
VanuatuPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary
SamoaPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
KiribatiPartialMixed
Mostly common with some influence by customary law
SeychellesPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary law
MicronesiaPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
GuernseyPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary law
American SamoaPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary
Turks and Caicos IslandsPartialMixed
Mix of common and civil law
Sint MaartenPartialMixed
Mix of common and civil law
Marshall IslandsPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
PalauPartialMixed
Mix of common, civil, and customary laws
NauruPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
TuvaluPartialMixed
Mix of common and customary law
ChinaNoCivil
Civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power...
IndonesiaNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
BrazilNoCivil
Civil law. Note: A new civil law code was enacted in 2002 replacing the 1916 code
RussiaNoCivil
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
EthiopiaNoCivil
Civil law system
MexicoNoMixed
Mix of civil and constitutional law
JapanNoCivil
Civil law system based on German model; system also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese t...
EgyptNoMixed
Mix of civil, penal, religious (Islamic), and colonial law
DR CongoNoMixed
Mix of civil, customary, and tribal law
VietnamNoCivil
Civil law system. Note: the civil code of 2005 reflects a European-style civil law
IranNoMixed
Mix of secular and religious (Islamic) law
TurkeyNoCivil
Civil law system based on various European legal systems, notably the Swiss civil code
GermanyNoCivil
Civil law system
FranceNoCivil
The French civil law system is the basis for most civil law systems in Europe and Africa.
ItalyNoCivil
Civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in Constitutional Court
ColombiaNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by the Spanish and French civil codes
South KoreaNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
SpainNoCivil
Civil law system with regional variations
AlgeriaNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic)
IraqNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law
ArgentinaNoCivil
Civil law system based on West European legal systems. Note: In mid-2015, Argentina adopted a new ci...
AfghanistanNoReligious
The Taliban is implementing its own interpretation of Islamic law, which partially based on the Hani...
PolandNoCivil
Civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judici...
MoroccoNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law
AngolaNoCivil
Civil legal system based on Portuguese civil law; no judicial review of legislation
UkraineNoCivil
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
UzbekistanNoCivil
Civil law system; note: in early 2020, the president signed an amendment to the criminal code, crimi...
MozambiqueNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
PeruNoCivil
Saudi ArabiaNoMixed
Mix of religious (Islamic) and customary law
MadagascarNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
Ivory CoastNoCivil
Civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitu...
VenezuelaNoCivil
Civil law system based on the Spanish civil code
NigerNoMixed
Mix of civil, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
North KoreaNoMixed
Mostly civil but influenced by customary and communist law
SyriaNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law
MaliNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
Burkina FasoNoCivil
Civil law based on the French model and customary law; in mid-2019, the National Assembly amended th...
TaiwanNoCivil
KazakhstanNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Fede...
ChadNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
ChileNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by several West European civil legal systems; judicial review of legisla...
RomaniaNoCivil
Civil law system
SomaliaNoMixed
Mix of civil, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
SenegalNoCivil
Civil law system based on French law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Council
GuatemalaNoCivil
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
NetherlandsNoCivil
Civil law system based on the French system; constitution does not permit judicial review of acts of...
EcuadorNoCivil
Civil law based on the Chilean civil code with modifications; traditional law in indigenous communit...
GuineaNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
BeninNoCivil
Civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law
RwandaNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
BurundiNoCivil
Mix of civil and customary law
BoliviaNoCivil
Mostly civil but influenced by religious, indigenous, and multiple European legal systems
TunisiaNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law
HaitiNoCivil
Civil law system strongly influenced by Napoleonic Code
BelgiumNoCivil
Civil law system based on the French civil code. Note: Belgian law continues to be modified in confo...
Dominican RepublicNoCivil
Civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to includ...
United Arab EmiratesNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law
CubaNoCivil
Civil law system based on Spanish civil code
HondurasNoCivil
Civil law system
Czech RepublicNoCivil
New civil code enacted in 2014, replacing civil code of 1964 - based on former Austro-Hungarian civi...
SwedenNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and customary law
TajikistanNoCivil
PortugalNoCivil
Civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
AzerbaijanNoCivil
Civil law system
GreeceNoCivil
Civil legal system based on Roman law
HungaryNoCivil
Civil legal system influenced by the German model
TogoNoCustomary
Customary law system
AustriaNoCivil
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court
BelarusNoCivil
Revised versions of most codes entered into effect 1999-2000
SwitzerlandNoCivil
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts, except for federal decrees of a general oblig...
LaosNoCivil
Civil law system similar in form to the French system
TurkmenistanNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law
LibyaNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law. As of 2024, Libya's government was unstable and its legal ...
KyrgyzstanNoCivil
Civil law system, which includes features of French civil law and Russian civil law
ParaguayNoCivil
Civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judici...
NicaraguaNoCivil
Civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
BulgariaNoCivil
Civil law
SerbiaNoCivil
Republic of the CongoNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
DenmarkNoCivil
Civil law; judicial review of legislative acts
LebanonNoMixed
Mix of civil, customary, and religious laws
FinlandNoCivil
Civil law system based on the Swedish model
SlovakiaNoCivil
Civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes. Note: legal code modified to comply with the oblig...
Central African RepublicNoCivil
Civil law system based on the French model
MauritaniaNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law
Costa RicaNoCivil
Civil law system based on Spanish civil code; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Cou...
PanamaNoCivil
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice
CroatiaNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by legal heritage of Austria-Hungary. Note: Croatian law was fully harmo...
GeorgiaNoCivil
Civil law system
EritreaNoMixed
Mix of civil, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
MongoliaNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by Soviet and Romano-Germanic legal systems; constitution ambiguous on j...
UruguayNoCivil
Civil law system based on the Spanish civil code
Puerto RicoNoCivil
Civil law system based on the Spanish civil code and within the framework of the US federal system
Bosnia and HerzegovinaNoCivil
Civil law system; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
QatarNoMixed
Mix of civil and religious (Islamic) law
MoldovaNoCivil
Civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
NamibiaNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
ArmeniaNoCivil
Civil law system
LithuaniaNoCivil
Civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the Constitutional Court
AlbaniaNoCivil
Customary "Code of Leke" still in use in a few rural areas.
GabonNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
Guinea BissauNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
SloveniaNoCivil
Equatorial GuineaNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
LatviaNoMixed
Mostly civil but with traces of socialist law
North MacedoniaNoCivil
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Timor LesteNoCivil
Civil law system based on the Portuguese model. Note: penal and civil law codes to replace the Indon...
EstoniaNoCivil
Civil law system
DjiboutiNoMixed
Mix of civil, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
ComorosNoMixed
Mix of civil, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
BhutanNoCivil
Civil, but based upon religious (Buddhist) law
MacauNoCivil
Civil law system based on the Portuguese model
LuxembourgNoCivil
Civil law system
MontenegroNoCivil
SurinameNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by Dutch civil law. Note: A new criminal code was enacted in 2017
Cape VerdeNoCivil
Civil law system of Portugal
IcelandNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by the Danish model
New CaledoniaNoCivil
Civil law system based on French civil law
French PolynesiaNoCivil
Adheres to French laws
Sao Tome and PrincipeNoMixed
Mix of civil and customary law
CuracaoNoCivil
Based on Dutch civil law
ArubaNoCivil
Civil law system based on the Dutch civil code
AndorraNoMixed
Mix of civil, customary, and religious (Islamic) law
GreenlandNoCivil
Adheres to Denmark laws
Faroe IslandsNoCivil
The laws of Denmark apply where applicable
LiechtensteinNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by Swiss, Austrian, and German law
MonacoNoCivil
Civil law system influenced by French legal tradition
San MarinoNoCivil
Civil law system with Italian civil law influences
Saint MartinNoCivil
French civil law
Wallis and FutunaNoCivil
French civil law
Saint BarthelemyNoCivil
French civil law
Saint Pierre and MiquelonNoCivil
French civil law
Vatican CityNoReligious
Religious legal system based on canon (religious) law
United KingdomFullCommon
The "English" (UK) system of law was the foundational system recreated by most of today's common-law...
TanzaniaFullCommon
English common law; judicial review of legislative acts limited to matters of interpretation
AustraliaFullCommon
Based upon English model
SingaporeFullCommon
English common law
New ZealandFullCommon
Based on English model, with special legislation and land courts for the Maori
JamaicaFullCommon
Based upon English model
Trinidad and TobagoFullCommon
English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court
FijiFullCommon
Based upon English model
BelizeFullCommon
Based upon English model
BahamasFullCommon
Based upon English model
BarbadosFullCommon
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
Saint LuciaFullCommon
English common law
GuamFullCommon
Common law modeled on US system; US federal laws apply
GrenadaFullCommon
Common law based on English model
TongaFullCommon
English common law
JerseyFullCommon
Adheres to UK laws
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesFullCommon
English common law
Antigua and BarbudaFullCommon
Based upon English model
United States Virgin IslandsFullCommon
Adheres to US laws
Isle of ManFullCommon
Adheres to UK laws
Cayman IslandsFullCommon
English common law and local statutes
DominicaFullCommon
Common law based on the English model
BermudaFullCommon
Based upon English model
Saint Kitts and NevisFullCommon
English common law
Northern Mariana IslandsFullCommon
Adheres to US laws
British Virgin IslandsFullCommon
Based upon English model
GibraltarFullCommon
Adheres to UK laws
AnguillaFullCommon
Based upon English model
Cook IslandsFullCommon
Common law similar to New Zealand common law
MontserratFullCommon
Based on English system
Falkland IslandsFullCommon
Based upon English model
TokelauFullCommon
Adheres to New Zealand laws
NiueFullCommon
English common law

How many countries are common law countries?

33 countries have a common law legal system.

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