Rule of law recession persists globally
Ireland ranked eighth out of 143 countries and jurisdictions in the 2026 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, published on 21 October under the title The Global Rule of Law Recession Continues.
For the ninth consecutive year, the index found that declines in adherence to the rule of law continued to outnumber improvements worldwide.
However, it also noted that “rule of law erosion is slowing, but the recession persists”.
The index assesses eight areas of the rule of law:
- Constraints on government powers,
- Absence of corruption,
- Open government,
- Fundamental rights,
- Regulatory enforcement,
- Order and security,
- Civil justice, and
- Criminal justice.
Its findings draw on more than 215,000 household surveys and 3,400 surveys of legal practitioners and experts.
A total of 62% of countries experienced a decline in their rule of law scores, compared with 38% that improved.
Authoritarian rule
More than 86% had experienced a sustained five-year decline in at least one safeguard against authoritarian rule, including constraints on government powers, open government or fundamental rights.
The WJP identified restrictions on civic space and weakening checks and balances as the principal drivers of the global downturn. Freedom of opinion and expression declined in 64% of countries surveyed, freedom of assembly and association in 67%, and civic participation in 65%.
The report also highlighted government interference in justice systems.
Civil justice weakened in 64% of countries and criminal justice in 58%, with improper government influence identified as a central factor in both.
Judicial limits on government powers declined in 63% of countries.
Venezuela, Afghanistan and Haiti lowest
Denmark, Norway and Finland occupied the top three positions in the index, while Venezuela, Afghanistan and Haiti ranked lowest.
In the EU, EFTA and North America region, which comprises 31 countries, Ireland was seventh overall and received its highest scores, 3/31, in order and security and regulatory enforcement.
Its lowest scores are in criminal justice (10/31) and civil justice (12/31).
The full 2026 rankings are available from the World Justice Project.