ng created from former dual French and
British systems
Venezuela
based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial
court system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Vietnam
based on communist legal theory and French civil law system
Virgin Islands
based on US laws
Wake Island
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Wallis and Futuna
French legal system
World
all members of the UN are parties to the statute that
established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World Court
Yemen
based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and
local tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Zambia
based on English common law and customary law; judicial
review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Zimbabwe
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005
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@2101 Legislative branch
Afghanistan
nonfunctioning as of January 2004; government is
empowered by the constitution to issue legislation by decree until
the new assembly is seated; under the new constitution, the
bicameral National Assembly will consist of the Wolesi Jirga or
House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for a
five-year term, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102
seats, one third elected from provincial councils for a four-year
term, one third elected from local district councils for a
three-year term, and one third presidential appointees for a
five-year term; the presidential appointees will include two
representatives of Kuchis and two representatives of the disabled;
half of the presidential appointees will be women)
note: on rare occasions the government may convene the Loya Jirga on
issues of independence, national sovereignty, and territorial
integrity; it can amend the provisions of the constitution and
prosecute the president; it is made up of members of the National
Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and district councils
elections: scheduled for spring 2005
Albania
unicameral People's Assembly or Kuvendi Popullor (140 seats;
100 are elected by direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote
for four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 June 2001 with subsequent roun
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