Ukraine ranks 77th among 113 countries in the World Justice Project's 2017-2018 Rule of Law Index, being 12 points ahead of Russia.
The index is compiled every two years, the results of the rating are published on the website of international non-governmental organization World Justice Project (WJP).
Read alsoUkraine ranks last among Europe's 44 countries in terms of economic freedomAccording to WJP experts, Ukraine climbed one position compared to the previous period.
The top three overall performers in the 2017-2018 WJP Rule of Law Index were Denmark (1), Norway (2), and Finland (3); the bottom three were Afghanistan (111), Cambodia (112), and Venezuela (113). The top three and bottom three performing countries have not changed since the 2016 Index.
The WJP on January 31, 2018, released the 2017-2018 WJP Rule of Law Index which measures rule of law adherence in 113 countries worldwide based on more than 110,000 household and 3,000 expert surveys. Featuring primary 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.
Since the publication of the last WJP Rule of Law Index in October 2016, a majority of countries worldwide saw their scores decline in the areas of human rights, checks on government powers, and civil and criminal justice.
The greatest decline was seen in Factor 4, Fundamental Rights (71 countries dropped out of 113), which measures absence of discrimination, right to life and security, due process, freedom of expression and religion, right to privacy, freedom of association, and labor rights. The second greatest decline was seen in Factor 1, Constraints on Government Powers (64 countries dropped out of 113), which measures the extent to which those who govern are bound by law.
In addition, more countries' overall rule of law score declined (34%) than improved (29%) as compared to their 2016 Index scores – a troubling trend. Thirty-seven percent of countries' overall rule of law score remained the same.
