Rule of Law

http://worldjusticeproject.org/what-rule-law

What is the Rule of Law?

The rule of law is a system of rules and rights that enables fair and functioning societies. The World Justice Project defines this system as one in which the following four universal principles are upheld:

• The government and its officials and agents as well as individuals and private entities are accountable under the law.
• The laws are clear, publicized, stable, and just; are applied evenly; and protect fundamental rights, including the security of persons and property.
• The process by which the laws are enacted, administered, and enforced is accessible, fair, and efficient.
• Justice is delivered timely by competent, ethical, and independent representatives and neutrals who are of sufficient number, have adequate resources, and reflect the makeup of the communities they serve.

These four universal principles which comprise the WJP's notion of the rule of law are further developed in the following nine factors of the WJP Rule of Law Index, which measures how the rule of law is experienced by ordinary people in 99 countries around the globe.