Woman-stairs
Photo by: Sampatrickstock



“Stick to your knitting.”

That’s what some companies are hearing as part of an “ESG backlash” that says they should stay out of social and environmental issues, according to Conference Board ESG Center Executive Director Paul Washington.

Luckily, when it comes to supporting the rule of law, companies can do more than argue it is good for the world, he said. They can demonstrate it’s good for their business.

“And that business case has to be made within a boardroom, and it has to be made in the public forum as well,” Washington told corporate leaders gathered for a recent private sector briefing on the WJP Rule of Law Index 2022.

“The WJP data helps us make that case.”

Indeed, that’s been the experience at LexisNexis, said Ian McDougall, the company’s executive vice president and general counsel. He told the gathering how his company uses Index data to show the strong correlation between rule of law and a variety of positive socioeconomic outcomes.

“For example, you see very clearly that the stronger the rule of law, the higher the per capita GDP is on average in a country,” he said, “and all kinds of other amazing things: lower mortality rates, lower corruption rates.”

mattering-graphics

“This is not just us telling you, we think this is a great idea,” McDougall said. “This is us telling you that the evidence shows that you benefit as a result of supporting an advance in the rule of law.”

At the same briefing for WJP’s private sector partners and other corporate leaders, WJP Chief Research Officer Alejandro Ponce dug into the 2022 Index data, including the indicators most relevant to the business environment.

Between 2021 and 2022, regulatory enforcement weakened in 58% of countries, he said, while the effectiveness and timeliness of civil justice systems declined in 61% of countries. Corruption also got worse in 58% of countries, Ponce said, but noted that this indicator has remained relatively stagnant because the changes were often very small.

corruption-graphic

Participants in the briefing agreed that monitoring rule of law is critical for a variety of business reasons, and that using Index to help manage risk can and has saved companies as much as billions of dollars when deciding where to invest or grow their business.

“As a business going into any environment, we want to determine some kind of predictability,” said Joseph Kilian Bongsiysi Fonlon, associate general counsel of Hewlett Packard Enterprise. “You want to be able to understand what the regulatory framework is.”

Bongsiysi Fonlon encouraged other businesses and partners to participate in generating more rule of law data.

“Long term we will have a robust database we all can rely on,” he said. “And that will make our ability to invest around the world more predictable [and help us] manage economic risk, as well as achieve our core missions.”

Explore the Index

title bar

Read More

title bar

It is with incredibly heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our founder and dear friend, William H. Neukom, known to all of us simply as Bill. Bill was the driving force behind the World Justice Project (WJP), and his absence leaves a profound void in the soul of our organization. His belief in justice was unwavering. His deep humanity and his remarkable gift for bringing people together—regardless of background or origin—shaped everything we do at WJP.

Read More
The Warsaw Principles for the Rule of Law

WARSAW, Poland – 26 June 26, 2025 – A global coalition of organizational leaders and justice advocates issued an urgent call to action today to reverse the worldwide decline in the rule of law, marked by the release of the Warsaw Principles at the conclusion of the 2025 World Justice Forum. The Warsaw Principles represent a unified front against rising authoritarian pressures and a framework for collective action to strengthen accountability.

Read More
Chief Justice Zondo accepts the World Justice Project Rule of Law Award

WARSAW, Poland – June 12, 2025 – Former South African Chief Justice Raymond Zondo was awarded the prestigious World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Award in recognition of his unwavering commitment to justice and his courageous efforts in exposing systemic corruption. The award was presented by WJP Board Vice President Judy Perry Martinez at the 2025 World Justice Forum, a global gathering of rule of law champions. Polish Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar, a prior recipient of the award in 2019, made accompanying remarks.

Read More
Adam Bodnar remarks at the World Justice Forum 2025 Opening Reception

WARSAW, Poland – 23 June, 2025 – Hundreds of global leaders, jurists, and human rights champions gathered in Warsaw—a city with a profound history in the struggle for freedom—for the opening of the 2025 World Justice Forum. The summit aims to mobilize collective action against a rising tide of authoritarianism and reverse the global rule of law recession.

Read More