Rwanda has, for the third year in a row, ranked best in the region in a rule of law index published by World Justice Project WJP, an organisation that evaluates the adherence to rule of law principles in countries around the world.
The assessment, whose results were released on Wednesday, October 25, is based on a comprehensive set of factors, including government accountability, civil and criminal justice, fundamental rights, and more.
At the regional level, Rwanda ranked first out of 34 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa while at the global level, the country was 41st out of 142 countries evaluated, followed by Namibia and Mauritius.
The state of the rule of law worldwide remains a cause for concern, with global declines reported for the sixth consecutive year, as per the latest findings from the report.
This year, 59 per cent of the surveyed countries witnessed a reduction in their rule of law status, marking a continuous slide in the global adherence to this fundamental principle.
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However, the report shows that Rwanda registered an increase in its score, an accomplishment that places the nation in the top tier of countries experiencing an upward trend in the rule of law. This progress is particularly commendable considering that, since 2016, the rule of law has decreased in 78 per cent of the countries examined.
A closer examination of the data reveals that one of the most affected aspects of the rule of law is "Fundamental Rights,” which has seen a decline in 77 per cent of the countries studied during this period. Constraints on Government Powers have also dwindled in 74 per cent of countries over the past seven years, reflecting a global trend of executive overreach.
It underscores the fact that legislatures, judiciaries, civil society, and media have faced challenges in their roles of checking executive power globally.
The Index points out that declines in the functioning of justice systems are expanding. In Rwanda and globally, Index scores for Civil Justice fell in two-thirds of the countries (66 per cent) this year, up from 61 per cent last year. This decline can be attributed to increased justice delays and weaker enforcement. Furthermore, scores for Criminal Justice also saw a slight decrease in more countries this year (56 per cent) than last year (55 per cent).
WJP’s co-founder and president, William H. Neukom, commented on the overall scenario, saying, "The world remains gripped by a rule of law recession characterised by executive overreach, curtailing of human rights, and justice systems that are failing to meet people’s needs. People around the world are paying the price.”
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Within Sub-Saharan Africa, it is worth mentioning that over the last year, 20 out of 34 countries saw a decline, with 10 of them experiencing similar declines in the preceding year. Notably, the top performers in the region include Rwanda (41st globally), Namibia, and Mauritius, while the lowest scores are attributed to Mauritania, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (138th globally).
On a global scale, Denmark emerges as the top-ranked country in the 2023 WJP Rule of Law Index, followed closely by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany.
In contrast, Venezuela holds the unenviable position of having the lowest score, with Cambodia, Afghanistan, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo following suit.
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