The FINANCIAL -- Georgia tops ranking of 23 lower middle income countries
in four dimensions of the rule of law—absence of corruption, regulatory
enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice, according to the World
Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2012 report. Weaknesses in government accountability were also found.
Released this week in Washington, D.C., the report ranks countries across eight areas impacting on the rule of law: limits on government power, corruption, security, fundamental rights, open government, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice. The report is the product of interviewing 97,000 members of the general public and more than 2,500 experts in 97 countries.
According to the report, “Georgia is the leader among lower middle income countries in four dimensions—absence of corruption, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice. The country ranks sixty‐sixth in the world in providing effective checks on the government's power and fifty‐ fourth in open government. Political interference within the legislature and the judiciary is common. Although the country is relatively safe from crime, outbreaks of violence in and around the borders are a source of concern.”
Estonia leads the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region in most dimensions of the rule of law.
“Achieving the rule of law is a constant challenge and a work in progress in all countries. The WJP’s Rule of Law Index is not designed to shame or blame, but to provide useful reference points for countries in the same regions, with comparable legal cultures and similar income levels,” said World Justice Project founder William H. Neukom.
The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, non‐profit organization working to advance the rule of law for the development of communities of opportunity and equity worldwide. Its work is carried out through three complementary programs: Mainstreaming the rule of law including the convening of the World Justice Forum; the Rule of Law Index; and Research. The WJP’s multinational, multidisciplinary efforts are dedicated to stimulating government reforms, developing practical programs at the community level, and increasing public awareness about the concept and practice of the rule of law.
The WJP Rule of Law Index is a quantitative assessment tool designed by the World Justice Project to annually measure countries’ adherence to the rule of law as it is experienced by ordinary citizens, and to track changes across time. The WJP Rule of Law Index 2012 report is the third in an annual series.
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