Have you ever heard of the term “rule of law”? Some countries have a rule of law, and there are others where there is injustice. Rule of law means that law governs the society. It means no one is above the law, including the government, the judges, the lawyers. Everyone is subject to the law. This idea is ancient, but the modern formulation was coined by a British jurist in 1885.
One way to measure rule of law is through a rule of law index, which is a global ranking published by the World Justice Project. It measures how strongly countries follow the rule of law principles. The main factors used to measure rule of law are:
– Constraints on government powers
– Absence of corruption
– Open government
– Fundamental rights
– Order and security
– Regulatory enforcement
– Civil justice
– Criminal justice
Out of the 143 countries that are ranked in the rule of law index, Canada’s ranking in 2025 was 13. Being a Canadian, we have a reason to be proud of ourselves, but there is a long way to go. As legal professionals, it is our duty to give correct information and spread awareness about the Canadian justice system and the rule of law.