Botswana is ranked best in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of criminal justice according to the latest 2021 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index.
With a score of 0.58, Botswana is ranked the best among the 33 African countries surveyed and is also ranked 35th globally out of 139 countries. Scores range from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating the strongest adherence to the rule of law.
The Index notes:“An effective criminal justice system is a key aspect of the rule of law, as it constitutes the conventional mechanism to redress grievances and bring action against individuals for offenses against society. An assessment of the delivery of criminal justice should take into consideration the entire system, including the police, lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and prison officers”.
In order to come up with this score, seven factors were measured being Criminal investigative system is effective, Criminal adjudication system is timely and effective, Correctional system is effective in reducing criminal behaviour, Criminal justice is impartial, Criminal justice is free of corruption, Criminal justice is free of improper government influence and due process of the law and rights of the accused.
According to the Index, the absence of corruption in the justice system in Botswana had a score of 0.71; the level at which the justice system is free from improper government influence is 0.67; while the effectiveness of the criminal investigative system has a score of 0.40.
The WJP Rule of Law Index 2021 presents a portrait of the rule of law in 139 countries and jurisdictions by providing scores and rankings based on eight factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice.
