TOLOnews.com, June 3, 2015
Afghanistan Second-Worst Country in Rule of Law: Study
In corruption, Afghanistan is ranked 102, the worst country according to WJP report
By Sayed Abbas Kazimi & Mir Aqa Popal
A new study by World Justice Project (WJP) illustrates Afghanistan is the second-worst country in rule of law after Venezuela topped the list of 102 countries ranked in the report.
The U.S.-based non-profit association – which aims to advance rule of law around the world – released the index on Tuesday which was prepared based on responses from 1,000 people in each country and a total of 2,400 experts on how ordinary people see rule of law in their country.
Also in the regional-level ranking, Afghanistan is placed in the last position, report reads.
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In corruption, Afghanistan is ranked 102, the worst country according to WJP report. The judicial sector of Afghanistan is shown as the second-worst sector, ranked 101 followed by criminal justice which is ranked 100 in the list.
The survey was based on 44 indicators under eight categories which are: constraints on government power; absence of corruption; open government; fundamental rights; order and security; regulatory enforcement; civil justice; criminal justice and informal justice.
In corruption, Afghanistan is ranked 102, the worst country according to WJP report. The judicial sector of Afghanistan is shown as the second-worst sector, ranked 101 followed by criminal justice which is ranked 100 in the list.
"The rule of law is not the rule of lawyers and judges; all elements of society are stakeholders," the report said. "It is our hope that, over time, this diagnostic tool will help identify strengths and weaknesses in each country under review and encourage policy choices that strength the rule of law."
WJP executive director, Juan Carlos Botero, emphasized that the study could help countries produce their own indicators on these issues.
"As countries measure economic indicators and health indicators with certain levels of uniformity, they should be able to measure justice and corruption and governance in the same way," Botero said.
Afghan analysts, meanwhile, admitted to a lack of rule of law in the country, blaming it on illegal powerful individuals, especially in the remote districts and villages.
"Individuals in different parts of the country have their own laws ruling over their districts and that is because of weakness in our legal and judicial institutions," political analyst Mir Ahmad Joyenda said.
President Ashraf Ghani's acting spokesperson, Hamdullah Mohib, said Ghani has always stressed the importance of strengthening the judicial sector of the country.
"The president put a high value on the importance of the judicial sector as he believes Afghanistan's stability depends on rule of law," Mohib told TOLOnews.
Despite some initiatives by Ghani to curb corruption, including reopening of Kabul Bank corruption case after assuming office last year in September, Afghanistan is still one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
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