Dominican Republic climbs 11 places in World Justice Project Rule of Law Index

Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic made significant strides in strengthening the rule of law, climbing 11 places to 76th out of 143 countries in the 2025 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, marking the largest global improvement (+2.1%). Its overall score rose from 0.49 to 0.50, reflecting progress across key areas including limits on government power, civil justice, and criminal justice.

The WJP, an independent international initiative, evaluates how countries uphold the principles of the rule of law in daily life, measuring factors such as absence of corruption, access to justice, transparency, and respect for fundamental rights. According to Supreme Court President Luis Henry Molina, the improvement reflects the sustained efforts of judges and court staff in building justice with transparency, efficiency, and a human-centered approach.

Criminal justice reforms were a major driver of progress, with notable improvements in due process, non-discrimination, procedural efficiency, and corruption reduction, largely attributed to the national criminal case management system and coordinated work through the Inter-institutional Criminal Justice Roundtable. The expansion of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as mediation and settlements has also helped reduce court backlogs and boost public trust.

The report positions the Dominican Republic among the top 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting a consistent trend of institutional strengthening since 2019. Looking ahead, the Justice of the Future 2034 vision aims to further develop a justice system that is agile, accessible, transparent, and trusted by the public.