Prime Minister Harris’ St. Kitts and Nevis outshines almost 100 countries out of 126 on WJP Rule of Law Index 2019

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 02, 2019 (SKNIS): The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, a tiny twin-island nation in the Caribbean, with just a total land size of 104 square miles and a population of 50,000 or thereabout, continues to make big strides in the international arena for good governance with the latest World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2019 Report.

From 126 countries and jurisdictions worldwide based on more than 120,000 households and 3,800 expert surveys, St. Kitts and Nevis has ranked 30th. According to this ranking, it has outnumbered all countries in the OECS (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States), a ten-member grouping of islands spread across the Eastern Caribbean. Moreover, only Barbados at 29th place ranks higher than St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean Region.

According to the report, Saint Lucia ranks 38th, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 35th, Antigua and Barbuda 33rd, Dominica 45th and Grenada 43rd. The Bahamas places 39th, Barbados 29th, Jamaica 50th, Trinidad and Tobago 55th, Guyana 75th, and Dominican Republic 95th.

WJP founder and CEO, William Neukom, said “effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace.”

“No country has achieved a perfect realization of the rule of law. The WJP Rule of Law index is intended to be a first step in setting benchmarks, informing reforms, stimulating progress, and deepening appreciation and understanding for the foundational importance of the rule of law,” Mr. Neukom said in the report.

The Washington-based WJP Rule of Law Index “measures countries’ rule of law performance across eight factors: Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice, and Criminal Justice.”

In a tweet commenting on the report, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, said “Our citizens and residents can be proud that St. Kitts and Nevis is a global best performer on good governance.”