Western Sahara
Not classified
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Western Sahara is a territory whose final status is unresolved. Morocco administers most of it and applies Moroccan law there. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, proclaimed by the Polisario Front, controls a smaller part and has its own constitution. The United Nations lists it as a non-self-governing territory.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Where the law comes from
- In the part administered by Morocco: Moroccan law, including the Constitution of Morocco and its codes
- In the part controlled by the Polisario Front: the constitution and laws of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
- Islamic law, in family matters, and customary law
The main courts
- In the Moroccan-administered part: the ordinary courts of the Moroccan system
- In the part controlled by the Polisario: the courts set up under its own constitution
- Elders and religious judges, for local and family disputes
Becoming a lawyer
In the Moroccan-administered part, the Moroccan route applies: a law degree and a bar exam, then admission to a Moroccan bar.
What may surprise you
- The International Court of Justice gave an advisory opinion on the territory in 1975.
- A UN mission has monitored a ceasefire since 1991.
- Two competing legal orders cover different parts of the territory.
Related systems
How this country is classified
This territory is not classified. A disputed territory. No single legal system is agreed, so it is shown as unclassified.
The map colours a country by the first-named system, and shows both civil-law and common-law countries as “mixed”. It is a simplification, and real systems are rarely pure.
Sources
Sources last reviewed: October 2026.
TheLawToKnow Tools’s Legal Families Atlas is an educational overview. It simplifies on purpose, and it is not legal advice. For a real legal question about Western Sahara, consult a lawyer qualified there. Report a mistake.
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