According to the World Justice Project’s (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2023, the majority of countries have seen a decline in the rule of law this year.

Uganda, on the other hand, is one of the minority nations whose Rule of Law index score has increased this year.

Uganda now ranks 125th out of 142 countries worldwide and 28th out of 34 geographically in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the most recent report, which shows a rise in Uganda’s score.

Rwanda is the best-performing country in the area, coming in at number 41 out of 142 countries worldwide, ahead of Namibia and Mauritius.

Kenya is ranked 101st globally, and Tanzania is ranked 98th.

Uganda is ranked 13th out of 18 low-income nations.

In the meantime, the index reveals that fundamental rights—which are declining in 77% of nations, including Uganda—are the rule of law aspect that will decrease the most between 2016 and 2023.

Additionally, the index shows that this year, two thirds of nations (66%) suffered a decline in their Civil Justice index rankings, up from 61% of countries in the previous year. This decline was mostly attributed to longer court delays and laxer enforcement.

Uganda defied the general trend and is one of the countries whose Civil Justice score increased.

According to WJP President William Neukom, “the world remains grappling with a recession of the rule of law characterized by executive overreach, curtailing of human rights, and justice systems that are failing to meet people’s needs.”

The WJP Rule of Law Index: An Overview

The most reliable source of independent, original data on the rule of law worldwide is the World Justice Project’s (WJP) Rule of Law Index.

 

The Index, which currently covers 142 nations and territories, measures how the rule of law is experienced and perceived globally using data from more than 149,000 household polls as well as 3,400 surveys of legal professionals and experts.