Poland has secured the 33rd position in this year’s Rule of Law Index, published by the international organization World Justice Project (WJP). For the first time in eight years, our position has improved, signaling a positive direction in the restoration of the rule of law in Poland.
Justice Minister Adam Bodnar expressed satisfaction with this progress, highlighting that Poland is returning to the path of rule of law after years of declines in the ranking. As he emphasized, Poland is undertaking a number of actions aimed at repairing the justice system. “We are at the beginning of the journey, but we are pleased that after years of declines in the ranking, our position has finally strengthened. Our long-term goal is to find ourselves among the leading countries in the ranking,” assessed Bodnar.
The WJP report this year noted that the level of the rule of law is declining in most of the countries surveyed; however, Poland is an example of a country that shows improvement is possible. In comparison to last year, Poland’s rating improved by 3.2%, representing the largest increase among all the countries assessed.
Poland’s Rising Position in the International Ranking
Poland has moved up three places, currently holding the 33rd position globally (in 2023, it was 36th). In the regional ranking encompassing European Union, EFTA, and North American countries, Poland secured the 25th position out of 31 countries, which also shows improvement from the previous year. In the category of high-income countries, Poland took 32nd place out of 47 countries.
Poland shows the greatest increase – up by 21 positions – in the category “Constraints on Government Powers”. This indicator examines accountability mechanisms for government authorities toward citizens, chiefly through legislative, judicial efforts, and independent audits. This increase signals a growing accountability of state officials and a heightened role of NGOs and media.
Another area where Poland recorded a significant improvement, was “Open Government,” where we improved by 14 positions. This indicator pertains to government transparency, citizens’ rights to information, and mechanisms enabling citizen participation.
Additionally, improvements were noted in “Civil Justice,” improving by 5 positions, and “Fundamental Rights,” improving by 4 positions.
Poland’s Long-term Decline from 2015-2023
Since 2015 when Poland held the 21st position in the ranking, the country has consistently dropped. Changes in the justice system implemented by the United Right government, such as reforms of the Constitutional Tribunal, the Supreme Court, and the National Judicial Council, have significantly impacted this decline. Disciplinary procedures against judges, changes in the judge nomination system, and restrictions on court independence were the reasons for warnings and interventions from the European Union.
In 2023, Poland was at the 36th place, and the crisis around the rule of law was one of the key topics on the international forum. However, changes implemented after the 2023 parliamentary elections and actions by Minister Bodnar helped reverse the negative trend, enabling Poland to improve its position in the latest ranking.
The Rule of Law Index – What Does It Measure?
The Rule of Law Index is one of the most important global indicators evaluating the status of the rule of law in different countries. It is based on evaluations in eight categories such as order and security, the level of corruption, fundamental rights, criminal and civil justice, government transparency, and constraints on government powers.
While Poland has managed to improve its position in several of these key areas, challenges remain. The long-term goal is to strengthen the justice system and fully restore the independence of democratic institutions.
The results of this year’s report are a positive signal but also a reminder that Poland still has a long way to go to reach top positions in the global rule of law ranking.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/po-latach-spadkow-polska-poprawia-pozycje-w-rankingu-praworzadnosci-rule-of-law-index-2024
