Rule of law slide

Oct 22, 2026 Editorial, News

(Kaieteur News) – The 2026 World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index delivered the message that so many Guyanese have warned about and that is the country is backsliding. A country’s commitment to the rule of law cannot be measured merely by the existence of laws, courts and government institutions. It must also be measured by whether those institutions operate independently, whether citizens can exercise their fundamental freedoms without fear, and whether those entrusted with power are genuinely accountable.

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Guyana ranks 81st out of 143 countries in the latest index, placing it 18th among 32 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and a troubling 50th among 51 high-income countries. Although its overall score declined by less than one per cent, the significance of the findings lies not simply in the numerical drop, but in the areas in which the country is losing ground.