Today the World Justice Project has released its annual Rule of Law Index, which traces various factors relating to accountability and rights protection across the globe. This year’s report has, unsurprisingly, highlighted some major concerns with regards to Russia, which is placed behind its fellow BRIC countries in the rankings. Below are some of the report’s findings:
Russia shows serious deficiencies in checks and balances among the different branches of government (ranking 55th), leading to an institutional environment characterized by corruption, impunity, and political interference. Regulations are not always enforced (ranking 52nd), and civil courts, although accessible, are corrupt and inefficient. Crime rates in Russia are not as high as those in other middle- income countries (ranking 8th out of 19), and the criminal justice system is relatively effective (23rd). Violations against some fundamental rights, such as freedom of opinion, freedom of association, and arbitrary interference with privacy are areas of concern.