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World Justice project releases the WJP Rule of Law Index 2015

WASHINGTON, DC (2 JUNE, 2015) – The World Justice Project (WJP) today released the WJP Rule of Law Index 2015, an annual report that measures how the rule of law is experienced by the general public in 102 countries worldwide. 

The World Justice Project has awarded seed grants to five pilot programs led by local organizations in Indonesia. The programs address key challenges in adherence to the rule of law in Indonesia, including judicial corruption, access to government ID, women’s inheritance and property rights, forest-related land conflicts, and paralegal assistance in remote indigenous communities. 

Join us for an interactive conversation on the state of the rule of law worldwide. Presenting new and original data on fundamental rights, justice, security, government accountability, and more.

Our latest paper, Open Government and Freedom of Information: Advancing the Global Conversation, provides new contextual information for our recently-released WJP Open Government Index. The piece is intended to be helpful to potential users—including the freedom of information community—to appreciate both the strengths and limitations of this new tool.

In early March, at the 59th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, UN representatives, politicians, and civil society practitioners gathered to take stock of the progress made towards gender equality two decades after the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The issue of political participation and representation typified the conclusion made over a host of concerns: there has been progress, but not quite enough.

The World Justice Project (WJP) releases the WJP Open Government Index 2015, the first effort to measure government openness based on the general public's experiences and perceptions.

Today we are pleased to introduce the World Justice Project (WJP) Open Government Index™ 2015, the first effort to measure government openness based on the general public’s experiences and perceptions worldwide.

At one time, rigorous measurement and data collection were largely unfamiliar concepts to the governance, development, and rule of law communities. It’s increasingly accepted, however, that efforts to track and analyze the status and reform of government institutions are far from supplemental—they are absolutely essential to understanding and improving these systems. The bigger issue facing advocates seeking responsible, responsive, and functional governments is, rather, what type of measurement will best isolate problems and inspire progress.

On March 26th, the World Justice Project (WJP) will launch the WJP Open Government Index™ 2015, the first effort to measure government openness based on the general public’s perspective. The Index uses four dimensions to measure government openness: publicized laws and government data, right to information, civic participation, and complaint mechanisms.

Update: For the most recent news and materials from our convening in Senegal, please visit: The Rule of Law in Senegal The World Justice Project will be in Dakar to convene “The Rule of Law in Senegal” on 10-12 March, 2015. The meeting and workshop will bring together 50 leaders from business, academia, civil society, and government to assess current rule of law challenges and opportunities in Senegal. 

As we mark International Women’s Day on March 8th, we have the occasion to review the progress and setbacks for women’s rights around the world. The World Justice Project is honored to work with a diverse network to identify and remove the barriers that prevent women and girls from having equal rights.

The World Justice Project is pleased to be in Jarkata, Indonesia on 19-21 January, 2015, for a country workshop bringing together a wide range of invited stakeholders—including leaders from business, academia, civil society and government—from across Indonesia to assess current rule of law challenges and opportunities.

The Namati Justice Prize was created to shine a light on the ways people find to secure justice. The World Justice Project is an institutional partner of the Namati Justice Prize. Bushenyi is a pretty, rural district in the south-west of Uganda known for its plantations of bananas and tea. It has 127 government-run primary schools. Not long ago one of them had a very embarrassed headmistress.

On December 4th, an advance, unedited version of the UN Secretary-General’s synthesis report on the post-2015 agenda was released: “The Road to Dignity by 2030: Ending Poverty, Transforming All Lives and Protecting the Planet.” The report will be formally issued in the six official languages of the UN on December 31st.

Today, on International Anti-Corruption Day, we take a look back at our 2014 WJP Rule of Law Index corruption data.

The inaugural conference of the Rule of Law Research Consortium (RLRC) was held on October 31-November 1, 2014, at the University of Chicago Law School. In former professor Barack Obama's favorite lecture hall, over 30 leading researchers from around the world came together to consider the state of the art on the rule of law, integrating theoretical and practical perspectives.

William C. Hubbard, WJP board chair and current ABA president, authored an opinion piece in the Winnipeg Free Press yesterday marking the 25-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the analysis, Hubbard underlines the value of continued support for reform efforts abroad in support of the rule of law: