The UAE’s overall rule of law performance places it at the top position out of seven countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The World Justice Project (WJP) released the WJP Rule of Law Index® 2016, the annual report measuring how the rule of law is experienced by the general public worldwide. According to the Index, UAE’s overall rule of law performance places it at 1 out of 7 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, 30 out of 36 among high income countries, and 33 out of 113 countries and jurisdictions worldwide.
The WJP Rule of Law Index is the world’s leading source for original data on the rule of law. The 2016 edition expands coverage to 113 countries and jurisdictions (from 102 in 2015), relying on more than 100,000 household and expert surveys to measure how the rule of law is experienced in practical, everyday situations by the general public worldwide. Performance is measured using 44 indicators across eight primary rule of law factors, each of which is scored and ranked globally and against regional and income peers: 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 WJP Rule of Law Index 2016 were Denmark (1), Norway (2), and Finland (3); the bottom three were Afghanistan (111), Cambodia (112), and Venezuela (113). In Mena, the top performer was UAE; the bottom performer was Egypt. “Effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of peace, equity, and opportunity,” said William H. Neukom, WJP Founder and CEO. “No country has ever attained—let alone sustained—a perfect realization of the rule of law. The WJP Rule of Law Index is intended to be a first step in setting benchmarks, informing and guiding reforms, and deepening appreciation and understanding for the foundational importance of the rule of law.”