Rule of Law Index
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The Rule of Law Index is a new quantitative assessment tool designed by the World Justice Project to measure the extent to which countries around the world adhere to the Rule of Law. The Index provides detailed information regarding a variety of dimensions of the Rule of Law, which enables policymakers and other users to assess a nation’s adherence to the Rule of Law in practice, identify a nation’s strengths and weaknesses in comparison to those of similarly situated countries, and track changes over time. The Index, which manifests the World Justice Project’s definition of the Rule of Law, consists of 16 factors and 68 sub-factors, organized under the following set of four principles, or bands:
- The government and its officials and agents are accountable under the law;
- The laws are clear, publicized, stable and fair, and protect fundamental rights, including the security of persons and property;
- The process by which the laws are enacted, administered, and enforced is accessible, fair, and efficient;
- Access to Justice is provided by competent, independent, and ethical adjudicators, attorneys or representatives, and judicial officers who are of sufficient number, have adequate resources, and reflect the makeup of the communities they serve.