legal systems

Maori Legal Archive

The Maori Legal Archive is a collection of digitised documents made freely available by the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. The aim of the collection is to provide an insight into the interaction between the Māori people and the colonial legal system of nineteenth century New Zealand. The documents, which date back to the nineteenth century, are grouped by category and include Māori-language translations of Acts and Bills, speeches of Māori members of Parliament, land deeds, petitions and evidence submitted by Māori to various commissions of inquiry and tribunals.

Council of Europe: Evaluation of Judicial Systems (CEPEJ-STAT)

CEPEJ-STAT is a database developed by the Council of Europe’s European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ). It allows users to find and compare data on the efficiency, quality and effectiveness of the judicial systems of Council of Europe member states. Ir includes information on the budgets of the judicial systems in individual member states, gender equality and use of information technology in the courts. The database is updated every two years. The CEPEJ-STAT website also provides supporting documentation on the methodology and data collection.

Council of Europe European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ)

The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) is the body established by the Council of Europe to improve the quality and efficiency of European judicial systems and strengthen court users’ confidence in them. The CEPEJ develops tools to support member states in their reform of court organisations and implement European justice standards. The site gives information on the work of the CEPEJ including the CEPEJ-STAT database which has comparison data for the judicial systems of the Council of Europe's member states.

Researching the Law of the Spanish Autonomous Communities

Online guide to the law of Spain’s autonomous communities, by Julienne E. Grant, Reference Librarian/Foreign & International Research Specialist at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law Library. The guide was published in 2019 (and updated in 2025) on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. The guide gives historical background information to Spain’s autonomous communities and lists key texts and electronic guides to aid research on this topic.

São Tomé and Príncipe: Legal System and Research

Online guide to the law of São Tomé and Príncipe, an island in the Gulf of Guinea, written by Kevashinee Pillay, a South Africa-based attorney, and Nélia Daniel Dias, a law lecturer in Angola. The guide was published in 2018 (and updated in 2025 by Gerhard Seibert) on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. The authors give a profile of São Tomé and Príncipe and an introduction to the island’s legal system, which is based on customary law and the civil law tradition.

A Comparative Analysis of Restorative Justice Practices in Africa

This online guide looks at restorative justice as practised in six African countries: South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda. The guide was written by Julena Jumbe Gabagambi who is Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Iringa, Tanzania and was published in 2018 (and updated in 2024) on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. There is background information on restorative justice in Africa and its treatment in the legal literature.

Macau Special Administrative Region of People’s Republic of China Jurisdiction

Online guide to Macau, a Special Administrative Region (MSAR) of China, written by Raquel Ferreira Alves who is an Associate Lawyer at Abecasis, Moura Marques, Alves Pereira & Associates (AAMM), a law firm in Lisbon, Portugal. The guide was published in 2017 (and updated in 2023) on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. The author provides background historical information on the area and how it became an autonomous region.

Parlamento del Uruguay

Official site of the Uruguayan Parliament. Provides background information about the structure, role and work of the Parliament including the Senate Chamber, Chamber of Representatives, General Assembly and related Commissions, together with a wide range of legislation, documents and minutes, which can be searched by keyword or title. The website is in Spanish only. 

Constitution of Uruguay

Electronic copy of the 1966 Constitution of Uruguay made freely available online by the Comparative Constitutions Project at the University of Texas at Austin. The Constitution was reinstated in 1985 and this version is amended up to 2004 and can be viewed in PDF or HTML formats. Chapters cover the nation and its sovereignty, rights, duties and guarantees and the functions of government including the legislative, executive and judicial powers.

Judicial System of England and Wales

Online guide to the Judicial System of England and Wales produced by the International Team of the Judicial Office. The guide is aimed at foreign visitors with an interest in the judiciary and legal system.
There are sections explaining the court system, the justice system, the role of judges in England and Wales. There is also information on organisations such as the Ministry of Justice and the Crown Prosecution Service. The guide can be downloaded in full in PDF.

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