Legal systems of the world

The four major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, common law, customary law, and religious law. However, each country often develops variations on each system or incorporates many other features into the system.

Civil law

Civil law is the most wide-spead system of law in the world. Countries that base their legal system on a codified civil law include:

Country	Description
Albania
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Brazil
Chile
China	based on civil law system; derived from Soviet and continental civil code legal principles.
Columbia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece	based on codified Roman law
Guatemala
Haiti
Hungary
Italy	based on codified Roman law, with elements of the Napoleonic civil code.
Japan	modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence.
Latvia	Largely influenced by Germany, medium influences from Russian and Soviet law.
Luxembourg
Macau	Based on the Portuguese strand of the continental tradition, itself much influenced by Germany; also influenced by the law of the PRC
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Panama
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Vietnam	Communist legal theory and French civil law

Common law

Country	Description
Australia	based on English common law.
Canada	based on English common law, except in Quebec, where civil law system based on French law prevails.
Hong Kong	based on English common law
India	based on English common law, separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus.
Irish Republic	based on English common law
New Zealand	based on English common law
Pakistan	based on English Common Law, some Islamic Law applications in inheritance. Tribal Law in FATA.
Singapore	based on English common law.
United Kingdom	common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences. English law (also includes Wales) and Northern Irish law is primarily common law; Scotland has its own unique system, generally regarded as mixed.
United States	federal court system based on English common law; each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana's) is based on English common law.