Malaysia slips one notch to rank 55th out of 140 in Rule of Law Index

Malaysia’s overall rule of law score decreased 1.7% in this year’s World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index.

在今年的世界正义项目（WJP）法治指数中，马来西亚的整体法治得分下降了 1.7%。

In the 2022 index released on 26th October, the country slipped one notch to rank 55th out of 140 countries worldwide. 

在10 月 26 日发布的 2022 年指数中，该国下滑一位，在全球 140 个国家中排名第 55 位。 

The index is presented by the WJP, an independent, multidisciplinary organisation working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide.

该指数由 WJP 提供，该组织是一个独立的多学科组织，致力于创造知识、建立意识并激发行动以推进全球法治。

Regionally, Malaysia ranked seventh out of 15 countries in East Asia and the Pacific.

在区域上，马来西亚在东亚和太平洋地区的 15 个国家中排名第七。

The region’s top performer is New Zealand (ranked seventh out of 140 globally), followed by Australia and Japan.

该地区表现最好的是新西兰（在全球 140 个国家中排名第七），其次是澳大利亚和日本。

The three countries with the lowest scores in the region are the Philippines, Myanmar, and Cambodia (139th globally). 

该地区得分最低的三个国家是菲律宾、缅甸和柬埔寨（全球第 139 位）。 

WJP said that in the last year, the scores of 10 out of 15 countries declined in East Asia and the Pacific.

WJP表示，去年东亚和太平洋地区15个国家中有10个国家的得分下降。

It said of those 10 countries, six also declined in the previous year.

它说，在这 10 个国家中，有六个在上一年也有所下降。

Among upper-middle income countries, Malaysia ranked 13th out of 42.

在中高收入国家中，马来西亚在 42 个国家中排名第 13 位。

Meanwhile, WJP said that for the fifth year in a row, the rule of law has declined globally.

与此同时，WJP 表示，全球法治连续第五年下滑。

The organisation’s original data in 140 countries and jurisdictions shows that adherence to the rule of law fell in 61% of countries this year — including Malaysia.

该组织在 140 个国家和司法管辖区的原始数据显示，今年 61% 的国家（包括马来西亚）对法治的遵守率下降。

It said that globally, 4.4 billion people live in countries where the rule of law has declined over the past year.

报告称，全球有 44 亿人生活在过去一年法治水平下降的国家。

WJP executive director Elizabeth Andersen said the world is emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the global rule of law recession continues.

WJP 执行董事 Elizabeth Andersen 表示，世界正在摆脱 Covid-19 大流行，但全球法治衰退仍在继续。

“At its heart, the rule of law is about fairness — that is, accountability, equal rights, and justice for all." And a less fair world is bound to be a more volatile one, she said.

“法治的核心是公平——即所有人的问责制、平等权利和正义。”她说，一个不太公平的世界必然是一个更加动荡的世界。

WJP’s index data shows that authoritarian trends that predate the pandemic — such as weaker checks on executive power and increased attacks on the media — continue to erode the rule of law globally. 

WJP 的指数数据显示，大流行之前的威权趋势——例如对行政权力的较弱检查和对媒体的攻击增加——继续侵蚀全球法治。 

However, declines are less widespread and extreme than last year, when Covid-19 shutdowns dramatically disrupted justice systems, and governments exercised emergency powers that curtailed civic freedoms and bypassed transparency mechanisms.

然而，与去年相比，下降幅度没有那么广泛和极端，当时 Covid-19 的关闭极大地扰乱了司法系统，政府行使了限制公民自由和绕过透明度机制的紧急权力。