Kathmandu, February 28

Nepal improved two positions for overall rule of law performance to 59th out of 126 countries in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2019.

According to the WJP Rule of Law Index of 2018-19 edition released by Washington-based World Justice Project today, Nepal’s score places it at the first place out of six countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — measured in the South Asia region and third out of 20 among low income countries.

The WJP Rule of Law Index is an evaluation of rule of law adherence worldwide based on more than 120,000 household and 3,800 expert surveys in 126 countries.

Featuring current, original data, the WJP Rule of Law Index measures countries’ rule of law performance across eight factors — constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil Justice, and criminal justice.

Though Nepal rose two positions for overall rule of law performance and secured the place of 59th among 126 countries, this change in ranking was calculated by comparing the positions of 113 countries measured in the 2017-2018 edition of the index with the rankings of the same 113 countries in 2019, exclusive of 13 new countries indexed in 2019.

The top three overall performers in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2019 were Denmark (1), Norway (2), and Finland (3); the bottom three were the Democratic Republic of the Congo (124), Cambodia (125), and Venezuela (126).

Globally, the new WJP Rule of Law Index scores show that more countries declined than improved in overall rule of law performance for a second year in a row, continuing a negative slide toward weaker rule of law around the world. In a sign suggesting rising authoritarianism, the factor score for ‘constraints on government powers’ declined in more countries than any other factor worldwide over the last year (61 countries declined, 23 stayed the same, 29 improved).

“This slide in rule of law in general and checks on government powers in particular is deeply concerning,” commented Elizabeth Andersen, executive director of the World Justice Project.

Regionally, South Asia’s top performer in the Index is Nepal (59th), followed by Sri Lanka (63rd), India (68th), Bangladesh (112th), Pakistan (117th), and Afghanistan (123rd) out of 126 countries globally. Bhutan and Maldives were not measured in the Index.

“Effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace,” said William H Neukom, WJP founder and CEO in a press release.

“No country has achieved a perfect realisation of the rule of law. The WJP Rule of Law Index is intended to be a first step in setting benchmarks, informing reforms, stimulating programmes, and deepening appreciation and understanding for the foundational importance of the rule of law,” he added.