Iranians have low confidence in their justice system, according to a new World Justice Project study. The Islamic Republic ranked 82 among 99 countries on The Rule of Law Index 2014, which drew on more than 100,000 household and expert surveys worldwide. Iranian citizens in Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan participated in the study.
The index is based on eight different factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice. Out of seven countries surveyed in the Middle East, Iran ranked last in four categories. The following are excerpts from the report.
Constraints on Government Powers
Assume that a high-ranking government officer is taking government money for personal benefit. Also assume that one of his employees witnesses this conduct, reports it to the relevant authority, and provides sufficient evidence to prove it. Assume that the press obtains the information and publishes the story. Which one of the following outcomes is most likely?
The accusation is completely ignored by the authorities 18%
An investigation is opened, but it never reaches any conclusions 48%
The high-ranking government officer is prosecuted and punished (through fines, or time in prison) 35%
Absence of Corruption
Corruption exists in all countries and societies in some form or the other. How many of the following people in Iran do you think are involved in corrupt practices?
Officers working in the national government 40%
Officers working in the local government 39%
Members of Parliament/Congress 31%
Judges and Magistrates 40%
The police 33%
Open Government
When talking to people about their local government, we often find important differences in how well local authorities perform their duties. Could you please tell us how well or badly you think your local government (Metropolitan, Municipal, or District administration) is performing in the following procedures?
Providing citizens information about the government expenditures 45%
Consulting traditional, civil, and community leaders before making decisions 34%
Providing information in plain language about people’s legal rights, so that everybody can understand them 39%
Providing effective ways to make complaints about public services41%
Providing effective ways to handle complaints against local government officials34%
Order and Security
How safe do you feel walking in your neighborhood at night?
Very safe and safe 65%
Unsafe and very unsafe 35%
Regulatory Enforcement
Please assume that the government decides to build a major public works project in your neighborhood (such as a railway station or a highway), and assume the construction of this public works project requires the demolition of private homes in your community/neighborhood. How likely are these homeowners to be fairly compensated by the government?
Very likely and likely 65%
Unlikely and very unlikely 35%
Civil Justice
Please tell us how serious the following problems are in civil and commercial courts in the city where you live? (10 means a very serious problem):
Duration of cases (they take too much time) 6.2
Inefficient enforcement mechanisms (judgments are difficult to enforce in practice) 3.9
Lack of enough judges or court personnel 4.4
Lack of adequate resources to do the job 2.9
Lack of adequate selection or training of judges and clerks 6
Lack of deterrents to prevent frivolous litigation 3.3
Inefficient alternative dispute mechanisms to resolve disputes outside the courts 4.8
Corruption of judges and judicial officers (they don’t move the cases unless the parties bribe them) 3.6
Insufficient monetary compensation (pay) for judges and court officers 4.1
Lack of mechanisms to track the efficiency of the courts 5.3
Lack of independence of the judiciary from the government’s power 4.8
Criminal Justice
The following question aims at identifying the main problems faced by the criminal investigation system in your country. On a scale from 1 to 10 (with 10 meaning a very serious problem, and 1 meaning not a serious problem), please tell us how significant are the following problems for the criminal investigative services (prosecutors, investigators, judicial police officers, etc.) in the city where you live:
Lack of effective intelligence systems to support criminal investigators 4.4
Lack of proactive investigation methods, such as undercover operations 3.9
Deficient mechanisms to gather information and analyze evidence 5.1
Deficient systems to protect witnesses and whistle-blowers 5
Deficient systems to exchange information between criminal investigative service agencies 4.2
Lack of enough criminal investigators 3.2
Incompetence of criminal investigators 5.4
Lack of technology and adequate resources 5.1
Lack of independence of prosecutors (unable to act against powerful government officials or private parties) 8.9
Corruption of investigators or judicial police 6.4
Corruption of prosecutors 5.1
Excessive length and use of pre-trial detention 6.5
Click here for the full report.