Cyprus was granted independence in 1960 with a Constitution that set out a power-sharing system, strictly communally divided between the 'Greeks' and the 'Turks'. The Constitution recognises two 'communities', the Greeks and the Turks and three 'religious groups', the Maronites, the Armenians...

Montenegro is one of the successor states of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It remained as a joint state with Serbia after Yugoslavia's violent break-up, but in 2006 the country regained independence and is now moderately prepared candidate country for membership of the...

Latvia is a multi-ethnic country, although the proportion of the different ethnic groups among its population has varied. Ethnic origin is recorded in the population register. It is based on the ethnicity of either of a person's parents and can be changed upon reaching the age of majority by...

Norway is a relatively homogenous country with approximately 5,2 million inhabitants. There are 698 550 immigrants in Norway and 149 657 people born in Norway with immigrant parents. These two groups constitute approximately 16,3% of the total population. There are 538 000 persons with...

According to the most recent population census of 2002, Slovenia consists of 83 % ethnic Slovenians, 1.98 % Serbs, 1.81 % Croats, 1.10 % Bosnians, 0.11 % Italians, 0.32 % Hungarians and 0.17 % Roma. Members of the Italian and Hungarian ethnic minorities enjoy the status of autochthonous...

Greece is a parliamentary republic. Popular sovereignty is the foundation of government and all powers derive from the people and exist for the people and the nation. The national legislative authority rests jointly with Parliament and the Government. Greece follows a civil law system...

Portugal has a long tradition of contact with other cultures and peoples. Due to the 16th century maritime discoveries and the experience of Portuguese emigration to Brazil and Latin America in general, as well as to other countries in Europe, such as France and Germany, in the 1960s, the...

Lithuania regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. The current constitution1 was approved by referendum in 1992. On 1 May 2004 Lithuania joined the EU, meaning that significant changes to the legal system had taken place in little over a decade to meet EU and international...

Austria is a wealthy modern welfare state with a population of about 8 million people. The majority of the population is white and German speaking. Autochthonous and recognised minorities are the Croats, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks and Roma. Starting in the late 1960s Austria became a...

Norway is based on a civil law system, where the Constitution is top of the hierarchy and national laws and regulations define the system in more detail. The interpretation of laws is based on both preparatory works as well as interpretations by the courts. The court system is based on three...