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Put two to five countries side by side, or compare whole legal families. Germany next to France, or the United States next to India, shows quickly what the two share and where they part ways.

BulgariaGermany

Choose two to 5 countries.

All of these are in the same legal family (Civil law), so look at the differences in courts, training and the details below.

Topic	Bulgaria	Germany
Legal family	Civil law	Civil law
JuriGlobe lists	Civil law	Civil law
In short	Bulgaria is a civil-law country in the continental European tradition, with strong Roman-law and German influences. Its Constitution of 1991 sets up three powers, and Bulgaria has been a member of the European Union since 2007.	Germany is a civil-law country with a very systematic, conceptual style. Its Civil Code (the BGB), in force since 1900, influenced Japan, Greece and many other countries. Germany is a federation, with sixteen states, and a strong constitutional court.
Where the law comes from	The Constitution of 1991, the highest law Codes and statutes, such as the Law on Obligations and Contracts, the Civil Procedure Code and the Criminal Code European Union law, which takes priority in its area, and the European Convention on Human Rights Binding interpretations by the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Supreme Administrative Court, which guide the lower courts	The Basic Law (Grundgesetz) of 1949, the constitution Federal and state statutes and codes, led by the Civil Code (BGB), the Criminal Code and the Commercial Code European Union law, which takes priority in its area Court decisions and academic commentary, which are highly influential even though they are not formally binding precedent
The main courts	The Supreme Court of Cassation is the top court for civil and criminal cases, and the Supreme Administrative Court is the top court for administrative cases Below them: courts of appeal, regional courts and district courts (three levels of review in most cases) The Constitutional Court, with twelve judges, checks that laws follow the Constitution	Five branches of courts, each with its own top federal court: ordinary (civil and criminal), labour, administrative, social and tax The Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) is the top court for civil and criminal cases The Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) in Karlsruhe, which can review laws and hear citizens' constitutional complaints
Becoming a lawyer	A law degree from a university, then practical training, and admission to a bar association. Judges and prosecutors are chosen and overseen by a Supreme Judicial Council, and the prosecution is part of the judicial system.	A law degree that ends with a first state examination, then about two years of supervised practical training, then a second state examination. A person who passes both is a fully qualified lawyer (a Volljurist) who can become a judge or be admitted as a lawyer.
What may surprise you	The prosecution service belongs to the judiciary, unlike in the United States or England, where prosecutors are part of the executive. A separate set of administrative courts deals with disputes between people and the state. As an EU country, Bulgaria's courts apply EU law and can refer questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Judges give their reasons by applying the code to the facts, rather than discussing earlier cases at length as common-law judges do.	The study of law is organised around the state examinations, not the university degree. Legal reasoning is highly systematic, working from general concepts down to the case. Citizens can bring a constitutional complaint to the Federal Constitutional Court after exhausting other remedies. Judges usually work in panels, and written judgments are often very long and structured.
Related systems	Germany, France, Russia, Japan, United States	France, Bulgaria, Japan, Russia, United States

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An educational overview that simplifies on purpose. It is not legal advice. For a real legal question, consult a lawyer qualified in the country concerned.