Todd Foglesong and Christopher Stone
Criminal Justice Policy and Management (PCJ); Open Society Foundations

The quality of justice, many insist, cannot be measured by an index or an indicator. True enough, at least of justice in the aggregate, or justice with a capital J, but not necessarily of its component parts; and it is on those component parts of justice that reformers must work. In each individual country, province, and city, reformers must strengthen the rule of law one part at a time. Measurement and indicators are essential tools in this work, and fortunately it is well within the capacity of most skilled and creative practitioners to fashion indicators for their local purposes. 

Consider the plight of the Commissioner of the Jamaican Constabulary Force, a police service long the object of domestic and international reform efforts, and yet still struggling in 2009 to reduce frightening rates of homicide and armed violence in much of the country, reduce the use of lethal force by members of the JCF itself, improve the quality of evidence for use in court, improve its treatment of crime victims, and reduce internal corruption, all while improving the full range of basic police services. Years of reform projects, countless training programmes, and legions of consultants had, by that year, left the JCF with lots of new forms, record books, monthly tallies, annual statistics, but few people in or out of the JCF believed the numbers, and with good reason. In the compilation of statistics, even basic terms (such as a “raid” or a “search”) had multiple meanings not only in different police districts but on different shifts in the same district. Meetings of the command staff at a district police station would typically move from anecdote to anecdote, with commanders instructed to respond to the latest incidents, but with no reliable sense of trends or discussion of indicators.

These were largely data-free meetings in a district headquarters littered with unread volumes of meaningless numbers and toppling stacks of useless records. It is a sorry picture recognisable around the world. 

What options are available to such a police chief, determined to strengthen the rule of law but wary of adding to the legacy of failed reform?

This essay is part of the Innovations in the Rule of Law report, produced by the WJP and the Hiil. To read the full essay, click here

Todd Foglesong and Christopher Stone Criminal Justice Policy and Management (PCJ); Open Society Foundations
title bar

Read More

title bar
WJP Chief of Public Sector Partnerships Mark Lewis during his participation in the United Kingdom House of Lords Constitution Committee’s official inquiry into the rule of law

On July 2, 2025, the World Justice Project (WJP) was honored to participate in the United Kingdom House of Lords Constitution Committee’s official inquiry into the rule of law. This invitation followed WJP’s written submission and marked an invaluable opportunity to support evidence-based policymaking in the United Kingdom.

Read More

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