Nepal ranks 58th in WJP Rule of Law Index
Nepal rose five positions for overall rule of law performance from 63rd in the 2016 Rule of Law Index to 58th out of 113 countries in the 2017-2018 edition.
According to 2017-2018 WJP Rule of Law Index released by Washington-based World Justice Project on January 31, 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, second out of 12 among low income countries, and 58th out of 113 countries and jurisdictions worldwide.
WJP had measured rule of law adherence in 113 countries worldwide based on more than 110,000 household and 3,000 expert surveys across eight factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.
The top three overall performers in the 2017-2018 WJP Rule of Law Index were Denmark (1), Norway (2), and Finland (3); and the bottom three were Afghanistan (111), Cambodia (112), and Venezuela (113).
Globally, a majority of countries worldwide saw their scores decline since the publication of the last WJP Rule of Law Index (in October 2016) in the areas of human rights, checks on government powers, and civil and criminal justice, said WJP. Regionally, South Asia’s top performer in the Index is Nepal which rose five positions to 58th place out of 113 countries worldwide. With the exception of Afghanistan, which stayed in 111th place, all of the countries in this region improved in the global ranks. Sri Lanka improved most dramatically, moving up nine positions to 59th place out of 113 indexed countries. India ranked 63rd, Bangladesh 102nd and Pakistan 105th.
The WJP Rule of Law Index is the world’s leading source for original data on the rule of law. “Effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of equity, opportunity, and peace,” said William H Neukom, WJP founder and CEO, in the report. “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.
