Egypt’s Judiciary Integrity Ranking: 110th out of 113 countries in 2018, and 138th out of 142 countries by 2024 !!
Report: Judges express anger over Egypt’s poor ranking in the "Rule of Law Index".
When the World Justice Project (WJP) released its Rule of Law Index report in 2018, highlighting Egypt’s low ranking, a wave of anger swept through the judiciary. Many saw it as an affront to the independence and integrity of Egypt’s judiciary, with potentially severe future implications. Among the most concerning of these is the increasing preference for international arbitration over national courts in commercial disputes.
By 2024, Egypt had fallen further in the rankings, occupying the 138th position out of 142 countries evaluated in the WJP’s Rule of Law Index. This index assesses various factors such as the absence of corruption, judicial independence, and civil and criminal justice. The findings reveal a consistent decline compared to previous years.
The report sparked widespread controversy within judicial circles, especially after former Court of Appeals President, Judge Adly Hussein, posted about the report on social media platform Facebook. Some judges objected to the public dissemination of such findings, arguing it undermines the judiciary's image. Nasser Amin, Head of the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary, stated that the judiciary is under attack, aiming to tarnish its independence and integrity. He also noted the difficult conditions under which judges and prosecutors work, which negatively impact the course of justice in Egypt.
Former Deputy Chairman of the State Council, Mohamed Hamed El-Gamal, told Al-Jareeda newspaper that publishing such reports does no good for the judiciary; rather, it diminishes its stature and erodes trust in it. He stressed that judicial bodies should address these issues seriously to demonstrate their commitment to justice.
Meanwhile, an appeals court judge, speaking anonymously, called for dialogue among judges to review the report and its underlying reasons, evaluate the criteria used in the rankings, and consider whether there are genuine issues behind Egypt’s ranking. He added that if these concerns are valid, measures should be taken to address and resolve them in the future.
From 2018 to 2024, Egypt’s judiciary dropped from 110th place out of 113 countries to 138th place out of 142 in the Rule of Law Index published by the WJP, an international civil society organization based in Washington.
The ranking is based on 44 criteria, including corruption, government interference in the judiciary, political influences on rulings, the protection of fundamental rights, and the availability of civil justice.
Public trust in the judicial system in Egypt has deteriorated due to widespread injustices, the increasing use of pretrial detention, and the lack of full judicial independence. Additionally, some judges reportedly rely on privileges granted by the executive branch.
- - Al-Jareeda Newspaper, Kuwait.
- - Alaraby Newspaper, UK.
- - Egyptwindow News, Egypt.