Serbia ranked 54th in rule of law index

Serbia ranked 54th in rule of law index

Denmark (Western Europe and North America), Uruguay (Latin America and the Caribbean), Botswana (Sub-Saharan Africa), New Zealand (East Asia and Pacific), Georgia (Eastern Europe and Central Asia), Sri Lanka (South Asia), and the United Arab Emirates (Middle East and North Africa) led in their respective regions.

According to the report, “Serbia, at 54th, shows a stable performance since last year but one that varies considerably across the different dimensions. Its system of checks and balances ranks 65th overall and 4th among its regional peers, reflecting a lawful transfer of power but also the presence of political interference within the legislature and the judiciary."

"Turning to fundamental rights, the country receives relatively high marks (ranking 40th overall and 3rd in the region), although discrimination against minorities and violations of the right to privacy are areas in need of attention. The judicial system is not as efficient as others in the region and is affected by corruption and political interference. Regulatory enforcement is ineffective even by regional standards (ranking 65th overall and 9th regionally). Lack of effective sanctions is a source of concern," the document said.

The Index relies on over 100,000 household and expert surveys to measure how the rule of law is experienced in everyday life around the world, a statement issued by the WJP said, and explained that "performance is assessed through 44 indicators organized around eight themes."

These include "constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice."

“Effective rule of law helps reduce corruption, alleviate poverty, improve public health and education, and protect people from injustices and dangers large and small,” said William H. Neukom, WJP Founder and CEO. “Wherever we come from, the rule of law can always be strengthened.”

Key findings for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region ( Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan) show that regional strengths include low rates of crime and other forms of violence, as well as relatively efficient and effective civil justice delivery and regulatory enforcement.

Among challenges are listed "poor government accountability, lack of judicial independence, weak protection of freedom of speech and the right to privacy, and significant levels of corruption and undue influence of private interests in all branches of government."

According to WJP, "the best overall rule of law performers in the region are Georgia and Macedonia, ranking 31st and 34th globally, and the worst is Russia, ranking 80th among the 99 countries included in the Index."