The Dominican Republic jumped eleven positions in the World Justice Project’s global ranking, driven by major improvements in criminal justice, transparency, and institutional strengthening, as Diario Libre reported from a Supreme Court of Justice press release.
The president of the Supreme Court of Justice proudly announced the Dominican Republic has been recognized by the World Justice Project (WJP) as the country with the greatest global progress in the 2025 Rule of Law Index, climbing an impressive eleven positions—from 86th to 76th place—among 143 nations evaluated.
The World Justice Project Rule of Law Index is a quantitative assessment tool that shows the extent to which countries adhere to the rule of law in practice. The WJP was founded by William H. Neukom and William C. Hubbard in 2006 as a presidential initiative of the American Bar Association.
The Dominican Republic’s score increased from 0.49 to 0.50, representing a 2.1% improvement, which the WJP attributes to the sustained strengthening of institutions and increased public confidence in the justice system.
The WJP report highlights significant advances in seven of the eight factors measured by the index, with notable progress in constraints on government powers, civil justice, and criminal justice. These gains, according to the report, demonstrate greater efficiency and transparency within the Dominican judicial system.
Supreme Court of Justice president Molina praised the achievement, stating in a press release that it is “a clear signal that the Dominican Republic is advancing in the strengthening of its institutions based on verifiable facts.”
“The World Justice Project Index is not a competition, but a compass that shows us where we are and where we must continue to move. This year’s improvement reflects the sustained effort of judges and judicial staff who build justice every day with data, transparency, and a human sense,” Molina expressed.
One of the pillars of the Dominican Republic’s ascent was the strengthening of the criminal justice system. This was largely attributed to the implementation of a national case management system, which has optimized case traceability, reduced judicial backlog, and improved respect for due process.
This progress is complemented by the work of the Inter-institutional Criminal Justice Roundtable, which includes the Judiciary, the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Public Defense Office, fostering interoperability and joint training for system operators.
In civil justice, the country also showed advances in procedural agility, judicial integrity, and a perceived reduction in corruption. Efficiency programs launched since 2019 and the expansion of alternative dispute resolution methods—mediation, arbitration, and conciliation—have helped decongest courts and solidify public trust.
The report also underscores achievements in open government and judicial transparency. Initiatives such as the Judicial Branch Observatory, the Juriteca (online legal database), the Social Participation Policy, and the Open Data Policy are positioning the Dominican justice system as a regional benchmark for institutional openness.
With this result, the Dominican Republic now ranks among the top 16 best-positioned countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, consolidating an upward trend observed since 2019.
The document concludes that the ongoing challenge, framed by the Justice of the Future 2034 roadmap, will be to “deepen a justice system that is more agile, accessible, transparent, and centered on people.”
Diario Libre also reported on how the Supreme Court is working to integrate Artificial Intelligence to the local justice activities.
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WJP Rule of Law Index
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Diario Libre
29 October 2025