India a dismal 77 in 2022 Rule of Law Index
The Rule of Law Index for 2022, released on Wednesday, 26 October, has placed India at a lowly 77, out of 140 countries. This is certainly bad, but it’s also a fact that the rule of law has declined globally for the fifth year in a row, as per the World Justice Project (WJP), which creates the index.
“Authoritarian trends that predate the pandemic continue to erode the rule of law … Checks on executive power are weakening and respect for human rights is falling,” Elizabeth Andersen, executive director of WJP has pointed out.
Among neighbouring countries, though, India is fairly well-placed: Nepal is above India, at 69. Sri Lanka is at 74. Bangladesh and Pakistan are far below. China is below India too, ranked 95.
But this should not be a reason for complacency. As a news report on the Rule of Law Index for 2022 by the Brookings Institution, titled ‘Rule of law continues five-year decline, but bright spots emerge’ states, tellingly:
“Meanwhile India, the world’s largest democracy, once had an encouraging trajectory toward more open government and robust public debate, but no more. Since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi consolidated his power at the helm, India’s rule of law performance has declined markedly in criminal justice (-17.7%), fundamental rights (-12.8%), and checks and balances (-6.3%). Falling scores on the integrity of police and military officials, freedoms of religion and expression (particularly targeted against Muslim minorities and around disputed claims in Kashmir), and non-discrimination drove the erosion, despite some improvements in administrative due process, accessibility of civil justice, and legislative branch corruption. But because it is increasingly aligned with its Indo-Pacific partners as a security check against China’s ambitions, New Delhi largely has gotten a pass on these alarming trends.”
