Rule of Law Index: Cambodia at Asia’s Bottom

News by Khmer Times/Jonathan Greig

PHNOM PENH (Khmer Times) – Cambodia has been ranked a lowly 99 out of 102 countries in the “Rule of Law Index 2015” released by the World Justice Project (WJP).

The global index, released this week, measures how citizens perceive and experience the laws on the books and their enforcement in their own countries.

The WJP report ranked Cambodia alongside of Afghanistan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

Among Asian countries, Cambodia scored last in these categories: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, and Criminal Justice For Civil Justice, it ranked last of all 102 countries. Cambodians responding to the survey were particularly skeptical of judicial independence. Responders also gave low scores when asked about the ability of the government to respond to civil complaints, and the ability of the police and judicial systems to provide justice to victims of violence.

The WJP interviewed 1,000 citizens and legal experts in each country to construct the index. The Washington-based independent body calls it the most comprehensive of its kind and the only one to rely on primary data.

In the 2015 survey, these countries were at the top – Sweden, New Zealand and Norway. The United States came in 11, and France came in 17.

source: http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/11983/rule-of-law-index--cambodia-at-asia---s-bottom/