Rule of Law in Brazil Improves in 2024, but Impartiality Concerns Linger

For the first time in 8 years, the rule of law in Brazil grew stronger, according to the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2024 released today. The country moved up three places in this year’s Index, and now ranks 80 out of 142 countries and jurisdictions.

Brazil is among the most improved countries this year, though this rebound still places
the country’s rule of law score below where it was in 2016.

However, Brazil’s judicial system faces severe challenges in impartiality, efficiency, and due process. The country’s worst performance is in the Criminal Justice category, ranking 113th out of 142 nations.

Brazil scores a mere 0.33 points in this area, far below the global average of 0.47. The most alarming statistic is Brazil’s score in judicial impartiality in criminal cases.

With a score of 0.10, Brazil ranks second-to-last globally, surpassing only Venezuela. This raises serious concerns about the fairness of criminal proceedings in the country.

Other areas of poor performance include the prison system’s effectiveness in reducing criminal behavior (128th), criminal investigation efficiency (112th), and adherence to due process (114th).

The slow pace of criminal proceedings is particularly noteworthy, with Brazil ranking 135th in this aspect. Corruption remains a significant issue for Brazil. The country ranks 77th in the Absence of Corruption criterion, scoring 0.45.

Brazil’s Rule of Law Challenges and Areas for Reform

This places Brazil behind nations like Algeria, South Africa, Gambia, and Uzbekistan. The Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index echoes this assessment, ranking Brazil 104th out of 180 countries.

Brazil’s Order and Security category also shows poor performance, ranking 122nd globally. This criterion primarily considers crime rates, placing Brazil behind countries such as Bangladesh, Angola, and Sierra Leone.

The country also ranks poorly (129th) in punishing official misconduct. Despite these challenges, Brazil performs above average in some areas. Government data transparency, religious freedom, and access to civil justice are relative bright spots.

However, these positives do not outweigh the country’s poor performance in most of the 47 indicators that make up the overall score.

The Rule of Law Index, published annually since 2008, bases its findings on surveys of local populations and expert opinions. It serves as a crucial tool for specialists and public officials worldwide in assessing the state of justice systems.

As Brazil grapples with these judicial challenges, the need for comprehensive reforms becomes increasingly apparent. The country’s low rankings in crucial areas of justice and governance highlight the urgent need for improvements to ensure fair, efficient, and impartial judicial processes for all citizens.