The Rule of Law
in Trinidad and Tobago
Key Findings from the General
Population Poll 2022
Acknowledgements
The Rule of Law in Trinidad and Tobago: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 was produced by the World Justice Project under the research oversight of Alejandro Ponce and the executive direction of Elizabeth Andersen.
The production of this report was led by Ana María Montoya and Tanya Primiani. This report was prepared by Said Aarji, Erin Campbell, James Davis, Joshua Fuller, Skye Jacobs, Ana María Montoya, Santiago Pardo González, Enrique Paulin, Tanya Primiani, Hannah Rigazzi, Natalia Rodríguez Cajamarca, Jeison Sabogal Sánchez, Victoria Thomaides, Carlos Toruño Paniagua, and Moss Woodbury.
Mariana Lopez was the graphic design lead for this report, with support from Raquel Medina. Photo for cover provided by Subherwal via Flickr.
Sampling, fieldwork, and data processing in Trinidad and Tobago were conducted by CID Gallup, based in Costa Rica. Data collection in Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines was conducted by DMR Insights Ltd., based in St. Lucia. Scripting of the questionnaire in the online platform SurveyToGo was conducted by Ezekiel Agwata of Polar Solutions.
The findings in this report are taken from the General Population Poll (GPP) conducted for the World Justice Project in 2022. The GPP’s conceptual framework and methodology were developed by Mark David Agrast, Juan Carlos Botero, and Alejandro Ponce. The methodology for this iteration of the GPP was developed by Lindsey Bock, Ana Cárdenas, Alicia Evangelides, Joshua Fuller, Nora Futtner, Amy Gryskiewicz, Verónica Jaso, Ana María Montoya, Alejandro Ponce, Eréndira González Portillo, Tanya Primiani, Natalia Rodríguez Cajamarca, Victoria Thomaides, and Marcelo Torres.
This report was made possible with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs' Office of Western Hemisphere (INL). The views expressed in this report are those of the survey respondents and do not necessarily represent the views of INL.
© Copyright 2023 by the World Justice Project.
Requests to reproduce this document should be sent to:
Alejandro Ponce
World Justice Project
1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20005, USA
Email: [email protected]
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ABOUT
THIS REPORT
ABOUT THIS REPORT
EFFECTIVE RULE OF LAW reduces corruption, combats poverty and disease, and protects people from injustices large and small. Strengthening the rule of law is an important objective for governments, donors, and civil society organizations around the world. To be effective, rule of law development requires clarity about the fundamental features that define the rule of law, as well as an adequate basis for its evaluation and measurement.
The Rule of Law in Trinidad and Tobago: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 presents question-level data drawn from the General Population Poll (GPP), an original data source designed and collected by the World Justice Project. To provide a more in-depth view of trends in perceptions of rule of law in Trinidad and Tobago, this report also presents select findings over time and compared to Trinidad and Tobago’s regional peers within the Eastern Caribbean subregion of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The GPP was conducted between June and July 2022 through face-to-face interviews to a nationally representative sample of 1,001 Trinidadian and Tobagonian households. This poll was designed to capture data on the experiences and perceptions of ordinary people regarding a variety of themes related to the rule of law.
This report represents the voices of people in Trinidad and Tobago and their experiences with the rule of law in their country.
The data derived from the General Population Poll is presented in this report as thematic briefs, each one highlighting a different dimension of the rule of law from the perspective of Trinidadians and Tobagonians. These thematic briefs focus on the current rule of law ecosystem in Trinidad and Tobago while simultaneously illuminating changes over time and comparisons across the following peer countries in the Eastern Caribbean region: Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Each section touches upon perceptions of and attitudes towards the following topics: authoritarianism, fundamental freedoms, corruption, trust in institutions, the criminal justice system and its actors, police performance, crime victimization, support for victims of crime, and security.
EXECUTIVE FINDINGS
The Rule of Law in Trinidad and Tobago: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 provides a comprehensive overview of how citizens perceive and experience the rule of law in Trinidad and Tobago alongside comparative findings across the Eastern Caribbean region. The findings in this report indicate a number of positive trends in the general public’s perspective on the rule of law in Trinidad and Tobago, including relatively high rates of crime reporting and an improvement in perceptions of personal safety. Despite these positive developments, however, these findings highlight the fact that many challenges—including high perceptions of authoritarian behavior, worsening perceptions of corruption, and declining levels of trust in institutions—persist. At the regional level, prominent trends include worsening perceptions of corruption, weakened confidence in criminal justice system performance, and low confidence in victim support practices.
SECTION 1
Authoritarianism and Fundamental Freedoms
1. Authoritarianism
Views on authoritarian behavior in the Eastern Caribbean varied widely. Across the region, however, most respondents felt that top government officials resort to misinformation to shape public opinion in their favor. Among respondents in the Eastern Caribbean region, on average, Trinidadians and Tobagonians most often felt that top government officials engage in authoritarian behavior and Barbadians least often felt that top government officials engage in authoritarian behavior.
- When asked about authoritarian tendencies in Trinidad and Tobago, respondents most often felt that top government officials attack or attempt to discredit the media and civil society organizations that criticize them (80%) and attack or attempt to discredit opposition parties (77%).
- Compared to their regional counterparts, respondents in Trinidad and Tobago most often felt that top government officials attack or attempt to discredit the media and civil society organizations that criticize them (80%), resort to misinformation to shape public opinion in their favor (75%), attack or attempt to discredit the electoral system and other supervisory organs (72%), seek to influence the promotion and removal of judges (68%), and seek to limit the courts’ competencies and freedom to interpret the law (64%).
2. Fundamental Freedoms
On average, fewer respondents believe that their freedoms of expression, political participation, election, and religion are guaranteed in Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago compared to the last year of data collection. In contrast, the average percentage of respondents who believe that these freedoms are guaranteed increased in Barbados and Grenada. Within the region, Barbadians, on average, most often felt that fundamental freedoms are guaranteed by the state, while Vincentians least often felt the same.
- When asked about respect for fundamental freedoms in Trinidad and Tobago, respondents had more favorable views on freedom of religion, with 95% of respondents agreeing that religious minorities can observe their holy days. Conversely, Trinidadians and Tobagonians had less favorable views on electoral freedoms, with 48% of respondents agreeing that local government officials are elected through a clean process.
- Between 2018 and 2022, Trinidad and Tobago’s most significant trends in public opinions on freedoms include declines in the perceptions that civil society organizations can express opinions against the government (down 12 percentage points) and local government officials are elected through a clean process (down 11 percentage points), and an improvement in the perception that people can organize around an issue or petition (up 6 percentage points).
SECTION 2
Corruption and Trust
3. Corruption
Public views on the pervasiveness of corruption within the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary deteriorated, on average, in four out of six countries in the Eastern Caribbean. Meanwhile, perceptions of corruption within law enforcement deteriorated in every country in the Eastern Caribbean. Public views on corruption across all of these institutions improved only in Grenada and St. Lucia. Within the region, on average, more Trinidadian and Tobagonian respondents reported perceptions of corruption across all actors than their regional peers, whereas Barbadian respondents reported the same least frequently.
- Between 2018 and 2022, public views on the pervasiveness of corruption within the legislature, the executive branch, the judiciary, and law enforcement deteriorated in Trinidad and Tobago. Perceptions of corruption deteriorated most for members of Parliament and national government officers, both with 9-point increases in the percentage of respondents who believe that most or all of these actors engage in corrupt practices.
- Members of Parliament are considered the most corrupt institution in Trinidad and Tobago. Most (60%) respondents believe that most or all members of Parliament are involved in corrupt practices.
- Teachers in public schools are considered the least corrupt actors in Trinidad and Tobago, with 10% of respondents reporting that they believe most or all teachers are involved in corrupt practices.
4. Attitudes Towards Corrupt Behaviors
Acceptance of corrupt behaviors in the Eastern Caribbean is relatively rare compared to in the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean. Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, respondents, on average, most often found a public officer recruited on the basis of family ties and friendship networks to be acceptable. Company officials asking for a bribe from a job applicant was tolerated the least often. On average, respondents in St. Lucia most often found certain cases of bribery, nepotism, and embezzlement always or usually acceptable, whereas respondents in St. Vincent and the Grenadines least often found these behaviors acceptable.
5. Trust
Respondents in the Eastern Caribbean, on average, trust people living in their country more than any other public actor and trust prosecutors the least. On average, respondents in St. Vincent and the Grenadines least often reported having some or a lot of trust across all institutions. In contrast, respondents in Barbados reported the highest overall levels of trust.
- Levels of trust in Trinidad and Tobago decreased across every institution between 2018 and 2022. Trust in national government officers declined the most between 2018 and 2022, with 35% of respondents reporting some or a lot of trust in 2022, compared to 52% in 2018.
- In 2022, respondents in Trinidad and Tobago most often reported having some or a lot of trust in judges and magistrates (46%) and least often reported having some or a lot of trust in local and national government officers (35%).
SECTION 3
Security and Criminal Justice
6. Crime Victimization
On average, 18% of all respondents surveyed in the Eastern Caribbean reported experiencing a crime in the last 12 months. On average, half (50%) of those respondents reported their crime experience to an authority.
- Fifteen percent (15%) of Trinidadians and Tobagonians reported experiencing a crime in the last 12 months, a figure below the regional average (18%).
- Most (59%) Trinidadian and Tobagonian respondents who were victims of a crime reported the crime to an authority and, of those who reported, 72% filed an official crime report.
7. Security
The majority of respondents in the Eastern Caribbean feel safe or very safe when walking in their neighborhood at night. Perceptions of safety improved in almost every country between the previous round of data collection and 2022. Perceptions of safety declined only in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where 76% of respondents reported feeling safe in their neighborhood at night, compared to 77% in 2018. Compared to respondents in regional peer countries, Barbadians most often reported feeling safe in their neighborhood at night (92%), while roughly two-thirds of Trinidadians and Tobagonians (67%) reported the same.
- In Trinidad and Tobago, approximately 2 in 3 (67%) respondents reported feeling safe walking in their neighborhood at night in 2022, marking an improvement from 56% of respondents in 2018.
- Trinidadian and Tobagonian women, Trinidadians and Tobagonians who had previously been a victim of crime, and Trinidadians and Tobagonians who are financially insecure were less likely to feel safe walking in their neighborhood at night than respondents with other sociodemographic characteristics.
8. Criminal Justice
Across the Eastern Caribbean, respondents are, on average, most confident that the criminal justice system ensures equal treatment of victims and least confident that the criminal justice system ensures timeliness. On average, respondents in Barbados reported the highest levels of confidence in the criminal justice system overall, while respondents in St. Lucia reported the lowest levels of confidence. Average perceptions of the criminal justice system’s overall performance deteriorated in four out of six countries within the region, with average perceptions improving only in Barbados and Grenada.
- Trinidadians and Tobagonians were most confident that the criminal justice system ensures equal treatment of the accused and victims (49%). Trinidadians and Tobagonians were least confident that the criminal justice system ensures timeliness (29%) and is effective in delivering justice (33%).
- Perceptions of adherence to uniform quality of service and presumption of innocence in Trinidad and Tobago’s criminal justice system declined the most between 2018 and 2022 with decreases of 15 and 14 percentage points, respectively.
9. Police Performance
When asked about their impressions of police performance, respondents in the Eastern Caribbean had the most negative views on accountability, corruption, and due process and the most positive views on absence of discrimination and public service, on average.
- When asked about their impressions of police performance, respondents in Trinidad and Tobago were most confident that:
- Police help them feel safe (59%).
- Police serve the interests of the community (57%).
- Police are available to help when needed (54%).
- Respondents in Trinidad and Tobago were least confident that:
- Police do not serve the interests of politicians (17%).
- Police do not use excessive force (23%).
- Police respond to crime reports (34%).
- Police respect the rights of suspects (34%).
- In Trinidad and Tobago, respondents most often indicated that younger suspects, suspects with tattoos, and suspects with a darker skin tone would most likely be at a disadvantage in a criminal investigation.
10. Victim Support
In almost every country surveyed in the Eastern Caribbean, less than half of all respondents, on average, believed that victims of crime receive adequate support and protection, with the exception of Barbados. In five out of six countries surveyed in the region, respondents were least confident that victims of sexual crimes and victims of domestic violence receive adequate care and protection. Respondents in Barbados reported the highest average levels of confidence in victim support practices overall, while respondents in Dominica reported the lowest average levels of confidence in the victim support practices overall.
- Trinidadians and Tobagonians were most often confident that victims are addressed by the police using accessible language (53%) and receive a clear explanation of the crime reporting process (44%).
- Trinidadians and Tobagonians were least often confident that victims of domestic violence receive adequate care and protection (23%), victims of sexual crimes receive adequate care and protection (29%), and crime victims receive protection during criminal proceedings to prevent repeat victimization (29%).
Note: In addition to the data found in regional charts included in this report, comparative data for regional peer countries referenced in the Executive Findings can be found in each country’s respective report.
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION I
AUTHORITARIANISM AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
AUTHORITARIANISM
CHART 1.
Perceptions of Authoritarian Behaviors
Percentage of respondents who believe that top government officials...
Barbados ◆Dominica ◆Grenada ◆St. Lucia ◆St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago
ATTACKS ON ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES
ATTACKS ON THE JUDICIARY
ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA AND MISINFORMATION
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
CHART 2.
Perceptions of Authoritarian Behavior, by Support for the Current Administration
Percentage of respondents in Trinidad and Tobago who believe that top government officials...
Government Supporter Non-Government Supporter
ATTACKS ON ELECTORAL SYSTEMS AND OPPOSITION PARTIES
ATTACKS ON THE JUDICIARY
ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA AND MISINFORMATION
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
CHART 3.
Attitudes Towards Authoritarianism and Rule of Law
Percentage of respondents who agree with the following statements
The prime minister can attack the media, civil society, and opposition groups
The prime minister must respect the media, civil society, and opposition groups
None of the above
The prime minister can undermine independent authorities
The prime minister must respect independent authorities
None of the above
Government efficiency is more important than citizen influence
It is important that citizens have a say in government matters, even at the expense of efficiency
None of the above
The prime minister should not be bound by the laws or courts
The prime minister must always obey the law and the courts
None of the above
It is not necessary to obey the laws of a government that you did not vote for
It is important to obey the government in power, no matter who you voted for
None of the above
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
CHART 4.
Fundamental Freedoms in Trinidad and Tobago Over Time
Percentage of respondents who believe the following statements
EXPRESSION
People can express opinions against the government
Civil society organizations can express opinions against the government
Political parties can express opinions against the government
The media can express opinions against the government without fear of retaliation
The media can expose cases of corruption
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
PARTICIPATION
People can attend community meetings
People can join any political organization
People can organize around an issue or petition
ELECTIONS
Local government officials are elected through a clean process
People can vote freely without feeling harassed or pressured
RELIGION
Religious minorities can observe their holy days
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
CHART 5.
Perceptions of Fundamental Freedoms in the Eastern Caribbean
Percentage of respondents who believe the following statements
BRB = Barbados DMA = Dominica GRD = Grenada LCA = St. Lucia VCT = St. Vincent and the Grenadines TTO = Trinidad and Tobago
EXPRESSION
People can express opinions against the government
Civil society organizations can express opinions against the government
Political parties can express opinions against the government
The media can express opinions against the government without fear of retaliation
The media can expose cases of corruption
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
PARTICIPATION
People can attend community meetings
People can join any political organization
People can organize around an issue or petition
ELECTIONS
Local government officials are elected through a clean process
People can vote freely without feeling harassed or pressured
RELIGION
Religious minorities can observe their holy days
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION II
CORRUPTION AND TRUST
CORRUPTION
CHART 6.
Perceptions of Corruption by Institution Over Time
Percentage of respondents who believe that most or all people working in the following institutions are corrupt
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
POLICE OFFICERS
EXECUTIVE
Local Government Officers
National Government Officers
JUDICIARY
Prosecutors Judges & Magistrates
Public Defense Attorneys
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
CHART 7.
Perceptions of Corruption in the Eastern Caribbean, by Institution
Percentage of respondents who think people in the following groups are involved in corrupt practices
Barbados ◆Dominica ◆Grenada ◆St. Lucia ◆St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago
THE MEDIA AND POLITICAL PARTIES
NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE AND BUREAUCRATIC INSTITUTIONS
SECURITY AND JUSTICE INSTITUTIONS
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
CHART 8.
Attitudes Towards Corrupt Behaviors in the Eastern Caribbean
Percentage of respondents who believe the following behaviors are always or usually acceptable
Barbados ◆Dominica ◆Grenada ◆St. Lucia ◆St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago
BRIBES OFFERED
BRIBES REQUESTED
NEPOTISM AND EMBEZZLEMENT
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
TRUST
CHART 9.
Trust in Institutions Over Time
Percentage of respondents who have a lot or some trust in...
PEOPLE LIVING IN THEIR COUNTRY
POLICE OFFICERS
EXECUTIVE
Local Government Officers
National Government Officers
JUDICIARY
Prosecutors Judges & Magistrates
Public Defense Attorneys
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
THEMATIC FINDINGS
SECTION III
SECURITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRIME VICTIMIZATION
CHART 10.1
Types of Crimes Experienced by People in Trinidad and Tobago
Victimization rate, by type of crime
CHART 10.2
Crime Victimization Rates and Reporting
Data on crime victimization and reporting in Trinidad and Tobago
Note: For additional information on how Chart 10.1 and Chart 10.2 were produced, please see the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
SECURITY
CHART 11.1
Perceptions of Security in Trinidad and Tobago Over Time
Percentage of respondents who reported that they feel safe or very safe walking in their neighborhood at night
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
CHART 11.2
Impact of Sociodemographic Characteristics on Perceptions of Safety
Likelihood that respondents feel safe or very safe walking in their neighborhood at night
Note: The results in this infographic were obtained from a logit regression. Each point indicates the average marginal effect of the corresponding sociodemographic characteristic on the predicted probability of a respondent to answer “safe” or “very safe” to the question “How safe do you feel walking in your neighborhood at night?” The lines indicate the 95% confidence intervals of each average marginal effect. For additional information on how Chart 11.2 was produced, please see the Regression Key linked in the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CHART 12.
Perceptions of the Criminal Justice System in Trinidad and Tobago
Percentage of respondents who are confident that the criminal justice system...
2022 2018
Note: For additional information on how Chart 12 was produced, please see the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2018 and 2022
CHART 13.
Criminal Justice Actors
Perceptions of criminal justice actors in Trinidad and Tobago
Prosecutors Public Defense Attorneys Judges & Magistrates
TRUST IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who have a lot or some trust in prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates
PERCEPTIONS OF CORRUPTION ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who believe that most or all prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates are corrupt
PERCEPTIONS OF EFFECTIVENESS ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTORS OVER TIME
Percentage of respondents who believe that prosecutors, public defense attorneys, and judges and magistrates do their job well
Note: Variables in Effectiveness category are as follows: Prosecutors prosecute crimes committed in an independent manner and are not subject to any sort of pressure; Public defenders do everything they can to defend poor people that are accused of committing a crime; Judges decide cases in an independent manner and are not subject to any sort of pressure.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2016, 2018, and 2022
POLICE
CHART 14.
Perceptions of the Police
Opinions on the effectiveness and legitimacy of law enforcement
EFFECTIVENESS
Serve the Public
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
Crime Control and Safety
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
LEGITIMACY
Due Process
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
Discrimination
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police do not discriminate against suspects based on....
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
Corruption
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
Trust and Crime Reporting
Percentage of respondents who...
Accountability
Percentage of respondents who believe that the police...
Note: For additional information on how Chart 14 was produced, please see the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
VICTIM SUPPORT
CHART 15.
Perceptions of the Treatment of Crime Victims
Percentage of respondents who are confident that crime victims...
Note: For additional information on how Chart 15 was produced, please see the Appendix.
Source: WJP General Population Poll 2022
PROJECT DESIGN
METHODOLOGY
To present an image that accurately portrays the rule of law as experienced by ordinary people, data in this report is drawn from the General Population Poll (GPP), an original data source designed and collected by the World Justice Project (WJP). The GPP captures the experiences and perceptions of ordinary citizens concerning the performance of the state and its agents and the actual operation of the legal framework in their country.
The General Population Poll used to collect data in Trinidad and Tobago in 2022 features several new questions that highlight perceptions on issues salient to the region, including corruption, authoritarian behaviors, police performance, criminal justice, and security. In total, the General Population Poll questionnaire includes 172 perception-based questions and 122 experience-based questions, along with sociodemographic information on all respondents. Additionally, the GPP in Trinidad and Tobago was administered to a sample of 1,001 respondents.
Data Collection
The GPP in Trinidad and Tobago was conducted for the WJP's The Rule of Law in Trinidad and Tobago: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 with sampling, fieldwork, and data processing by CID Gallup, based in San José, Costa Rica. CID Gallup administered the surveys between June and July 2022, conducting face-to-face interviews using a multi-stage stratified random sampling design. The target population group for this survey included Trinidadians and Tobagonians aged 18 years or older residing across 19 cities and towns throughout the country.
SAMPLE SIZE AND SAMPLE FRAME
The General Population Poll in Trinidad and Tobago represents an achieved total sample size of 1,001 interviews distributed proportionally across two regions. CID Gallup based the sampling frame on the 2022 projected population figures from the Latin American and Caribbean Demographic Center (CELADE) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), acquiring a proportionally stratified sample by region, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and level of urbanization.
In order to address all relevant topics while controlling the questionnaire length, the World Justice Project split three of the survey modules into two versions (Option A and Option B) and randomly assigned one option to each respondent for each module. These modules included: Hypothetical Situations, Civic Participation, and Institutional Performance. Aside from these modules, the questionnaires are identical. A link to the complete survey instrument, in English, can be found in the Appendix of this report.
SAMPLING
Regions and cities were selected to achieve a nationally representative sample of the country based on population density and geographic coverage. Within cities and boroughs, districts were then selected as the primary sampling unit using probability proportionate to size sampling. Individual enumeration areas consisted of neighborhood blocks selected via simple random sampling. The number of enumeration areas assigned to each city or borough was determined based on relative population size. Within each enumeration area, survey administrators performed a systematic random route to sample households and used the Last Birthday method to select respondents. If the selected respondent declined to be interviewed or otherwise did not meet the characteristics of the target quota, the interviewer moved on to the next household.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SAMPLE
COVERAGE: Interviews were distributed across regions to create a nationally representative sample. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the interviews took place in Trinidad and the remaining 5% took place in Tobago.
GEOGRAPHY: Forty-seven percent (47%) of respondents resided in rural areas and municipalities, while 53% of respondents resided in metro areas or cities.
RACIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND: Forty-five (45%) percent of respondents identified themselves as Afro-Trinidadian and Tobagonian, followed by Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian (31%) and Mestizo (24%).
GENDER: Fifty-one percent (51%) of respondents were female and 49% were male.
EDUCATION: Most respondents (63%) reported that they had received at least a high school diploma or vocational degree and the remaining 37% of respondents received up to a middle school diploma.
RESPONSE RATES
| Eligible household, non-interview | 706 |
| Refusals | 468 |
| Break-off | 65 |
| Non-contact | 173 |
| Ineligible household | 150 |
| No eligible respondent in the household | 69 |
| Quota filled | 81 |
INTERVIEWING AND QUALITY CONTROL
In total, 48 interviewers worked on this project, including 40 female interviewers. Enumerators worked in ten groups of four to five interviewers with one to two supervisors each. Interviews were conducted in English.
The supervisory team directly oversaw 38% of all interviews in the field. During data processing, 570 interviews (approximately 57% of the sample) were selected for audio review by the central office. Additional quality control measures included geo-fencing, audio quality checks, and checks for abnormal interview length. Interviews averaged 50 minutes in length and ranged from 43 to 87 minutes.
DATA REVIEW AND JUSTIFICATION
As part of the data analysis process, the team consulted several third-party sources in order to contextualize and validate perception-based data captured by the General Population Poll and compare it with the objective rule of law situation in-country. Peer data sources consulted include select indicators measured by the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP)'s AmericasBarometer, Latinobarómetro, Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index (BTI), and Freedom House's Freedom in the World. While certain trends captured by the 2022 General Population Poll in Trinidad and Tobago are comparable to trends in perceptions data measured by other indices, the experiences and perceptions presented in this report may not always coincide with the reality of Trinidad and Tobago's rule of law performance as measured by other sources.
HISTORICAL DATA
Historical data in this report derives from the WJP Rule of Law Index®'s General Population Poll that is typically administered every two to three years using a nationally representative probability sample ranging from 500 to 1,000 respondents. These household surveys were administered in the three largest cities of most countries until 2018, when the World Justice Project transitioned to nationally representative coverage as the preferred methodology for polling. The historical polling data used in this year's reports was collected in the following intervals: Data for Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago was collected in 2016, 2018, and 2022.
ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES
The Rule of Law in Trinidad and Tobago: Key Findings from the General Population Poll 2022 includes comparisons to the following Eastern Caribbean countries surveyed by the World Justice Project during the same period: Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This report is additionally part of a series that presents findings from the following five sub-regions within Latin America and the Caribbean: Andes (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru); Southern Cone (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay); Eastern Caribbean (Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago); Greater Antilles, The Bahamas, and the Guianas (The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Suriname); and Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama). Together, these 26 countries are a portion of the 140 countries and jurisdictions included in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2022 report. Detailed information regarding the methodology of the Rule of Law Index is available at: www.worldjusticeproject.org.
| Country | Polling Company | Methodology | Sample |
| Argentina | StatMark Group | Face-to-face | 759 |
| The Bahamas | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Barbados | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Belize | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 1,500 |
| Bolivia | Captura Consulting | Face-to-face | 1,000 |
| Brazil | About Brazil Market Research | Face-to-face | 1,109 |
| Colombia | Tempo Group SA | Face-to-face | 1,000 |
| Costa Rica | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 1,005 |
| Dominica | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Dominican Republic | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 1,002 |
| Ecuador | StatMark Group | Face-to-face | 1,005 |
| El Salvador | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 2,010 |
| Grenada | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Guatemala | Mercaplan | Face-to-face | 2,002 |
| Guyana | StatMark Group | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Haiti | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 507 |
| Honduras | Mercaplan | Face-to-face | 2,000 |
| Jamaica | StatMark Group | Face-to-face | 1,001 |
| Nicaragua | CID Gallup | Telephone | 1,014 |
| Panama | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 2,023 |
| Paraguay | Datum Internacional S.A./BM Business Partners | Face-to-face | 1,000 |
| Peru | Datum Internacional S.A. | Face-to-face | 1,029 |
| St. Lucia | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | DMR Insights Ltd. | Face-to-face | 500 |
| Suriname | D3: Designs, Data, Decisions | Face-to-face | 502 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | CID Gallup | Face-to-face | 1,001 |
APPENDIX
APPENDIX
Methodological Materials
GENERAL POPULATION POLL (GPP)
The General Population Poll in the Caribbean was designed to capture high-quality data on the realities and concerns of ordinary people on a variety of themes related to the rule of law, including authoritarianism, corruption, police performance, and crime and security.
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHICS ON CRIME VICTIMIZATION
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 10.1 and the “Reasons the crime was not reported” table in Chart 10.2.
World Justice Project Crime Rates and Reporting Variable Map
REGRESSION TABLES FOR REGRESSION ANALYSIS USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON PERCEPTIONS OF SECURITY
This document includes the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used in the regression analysis and the regression results featured in Chart 11.2.
World Justice Project Regression Tables
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 12.
World Justice Project Criminal Justice System Variable Map
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON THE POLICE
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 14.
World Justice Project Police Performance Variable Map
VARIABLES USED IN INFOGRAPHIC ON PERCEPTIONS OF THE TREATMENT OF CRIME VICTIMS
This table lists the question-level variables from the General Population Poll used to construct Chart 15.
ABOUT THE WORLD JUSTICE PROJECT
The World Justice Project (WJP) is an independent, multidisciplinary organization working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide. Effective rule of law is the foundation for communities of justice, opportunity, and peace–underpinning development, accountable government, and respect for fundamental rights.
The WJP builds and supports a global, multidisciplinary movement for the rule of law through three lines of work: collecting, organizing, and analyzing original, independent rule of law data, including the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index; supporting research, scholarship, and teaching about the importance of the rule of law, its relationship to development, and effective strategies to strengthen it; and connecting and building an engaged global network of policymakers and advocates to advance the rule of law through strategic partnerships, convenings, coordinated advocacy, and support for locally led initiatives.
Learn more at: worldjusticeproject.org.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
For more information click on the publication.
WJP Rule of Law Index 2022 Insights
Highlights and data trends from the WJP Rule of Law Index 2021
WJP Mexico States Rule of
Law Index 2020-2021
Perceptions and experiences in 32 states
World Justice Challenge 2021
Outcome Report
For more information or to read these reports, visit worldjusticeproject.org/our-work
