Egypt ranks last in region for rule of law: World Justice Project index

Egypt ranked last in the Middle East and North Africa and 110 globally in the Rule of Law Index prepared by the World Justice Project, released on Wednesday.

The United Arab Emirates came first in the region for rule of law, followed by Jordan, according to the index.

The data was collected through 100,000 global surveys pertaining to people's perceptions of: state power, corruption, the transparency of government, fundamental rights, security, law enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.

In terms of the power of the Egyptian state, the index showed a perceived decrease in the limitations imposed on government, a decrease in judicial and legislative oversight, as well as a decline in the monitoring of auditing agencies and civil society.

Regarding civil rights, the index showed Egyptians generally feel their rights to freedom of expression and privacy have decreased, along with their safety and security, labor rights and due process of law.

The surveys indicated Egyptians feel the highest levels of corruption are within the executive and legislative branches of the state, and the lowest within the military.

As for security and order, Egyptians generally cited low levels of crime, followed by civil violence.

Citizens rated the nation poorly in terms of transparency over new laws and government data, as well as the right to information and civic participation.

Denmark, Norway and Finland topped the index, with Afghanistan, Cambodia and Venezuela ranking last.