Rule of Law Report Shows Kingdom Leading in Some Fields, Lagging in Others

November 15, 2009

Hani Hazaimeh - AMMAN - An international report has shown that the Kingdom is outperforming its economic peers in certain fields pertaining to the rule of law.

These include the enforcement of laws without improper influence and the protection of private economic activity, according to the report, which was released during the World Justice Forum held in Vienna this weekend.

However, the Rule of Law Index, a new tool created by the World Justice Project to measure the extent to which countries around the world adhere to the rule of law, also found Jordan lagging behind in other fields, including access to competent legal services for the poor and public disclosure of government information.

The index looks at the rule of law “in practice” as it is experienced by the people, and not as it exists on the books. It also compares each country with its regional and socioeconomic peers, the organisers of the conference said on Saturday, as quoted in an e-mail statement sent to The Jordan Times.

Out of the 68 aspects of the rule of law measured by the index, the Kingdom's highest scores were in the sufficiency of the number of competent attorneys, the prohibition and publication of crimes against property, the protection of private economic activity, the treatment of persons according to international law and court access for defendants with language barriers.

According to the report, the Kingdom's scores in these areas are above the average recorded for other lower middle income countries, the category under which the Kingdom falls.

The country’s lowest scores were in access by interested parties to the administrative process, public availability of proposed rules, public disclosure of government information, access to competent legal services for the poor and public access to government proceedings. In these fields, Jordan scored below average for countries of similar socioeconomic status.

Among different factors, it measures whether government officers are accountable to the people, whether laws and administrative processes are efficient and protect fundamental rights, and whether people have access to justice.

The 2009 report, a copy of which was e-mailed to The Jordan Times, was compiled using two main sources of data: a general poll that included an average of 1,000 individuals in three cities per country; and a questionnaire consisting of open- and closed-ended questions completed by in-country practitioners and academicians with expertise in civil and commercial law, criminal justice, labour law and public health.

The countries in the Middle East and North Africa in this year's index, which covered 35 countries, are Jordan and Morocco, the organisers said, adding that next year, the index will cover 70 countries, and 100 countries by 2011.