Visit of the World Justice Project Executive Director and Asia-Pacific Director
Last edited: 2026-08-24
Since 2008, the World Justice Project (WJP) has published the Rule of Law Index annually. The Index has long been referenced by leading empirical legal scholars in Taiwan and is widely regarded as one of the most important global benchmarks for assessing the rule of law.
On January 29 and 30, the Executive Director and the Asia-Pacific Director of WJP visited Taiwan. The core objective of this visit was to formally initiate the evaluation process for including Taiwan in the Rule of Law Index. While the Index currently covers 143 countries globally and Taiwan is widely viewed as a model of democracy and the rule of law, it has never been included until now, making this a truly pivotal step.
We would like to express our special thanks to the Judicial Yuan and the Control Yuan for receiving the delegation, allowing the foreign guests to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan's institutional design and practical operations regarding judicial statistical data and oversight systems. We also extend our sincere gratitude to our civil society partners in Taiwan for their enthusiastic participation and sharing—the Koo Kwang-Ming Foundation, Taiwan Covenants Watch, Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty, Amnesty International Taiwan, Taiwan Innocence Project, the Human Rights Committee of the Taipei Bar Association, as well as Professor Shao Ching-Hui and Professor Tsai Chia-Hung, for actively exchanging experiences with WJP on relevant indicator surveys. Through dialogue with NGOs and civil society, we also gained a clearer view of how the Rule of Law Index serves as an important tool for human rights advocacy and rule of law improvement in other countries.
This visit by WJP not only demonstrates its determination to transcend political pressure and promote Taiwan's inclusion in the Index, but also further refines the research methodology and discusses the most suitable local execution pathways within Taiwan's context through in-depth dialogues with Taiwanese NGOs and government agencies.
As a primary collaborating organization in Taiwan, the Judicial Reform Foundation will continue to cooperate with WJP this year, looking forward to next year when we can truly witness the day Taiwan joins the Rule of Law Index.
Since 2008, the World Justice Project (WJP) has published the Rule of Law Index annually. The Index has long been referenced by leading empirical legal scholars in Taiwan and is widely regarded as one of the most important global benchmarks for assessing the rule of law.
On January 29–30, the Executive Director and the Asia-Pacific Director of WJP paid a visit to Taiwan. The core purpose of this visit was to formally initiate the process of including Taiwan in the Rule of Law Index. The Index currently covers 143 countries worldwide. Although Taiwan is widely recognized as a strong democracy governed by the rule of law, it has not yet been included—making this visit a critical milestone.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Judicial Yuan and the Control Yuan for meeting with the delegation and providing valuable insights into Taiwan’s judicial statistics, oversight mechanisms, and institutional frameworks. We are also deeply grateful to our civil society partners for their active participation and generous sharing of experiences, including the Koo Kwang-Ming Foundation, Taiwan Covenants Watch, Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty, Amnesty International Taiwan, Taiwan Innocence Project, the Human Rights Committee of the Taipei Bar Association, as well as Professor Chia-Hung Tsai and Professor Jing-Huey Shao. Through these exchanges, WJP gained a richer understanding of Taiwan’s experience with indicator-based research, while we also learned more about how the Rule of Law Index has supported human rights and rule of law advocacy in other countries.
This visit demonstrates WJP’s firm commitment to including Taiwan, free from political pressure. Through in-depth dialogues with Taiwanese NGOs and governmental institutions, WJP further discussed research methodologies and explored pathways for implementation that align with Taiwan’s local context.
As WJP’s key partner in Taiwan, Judicial Reform Foundation will continue working closely with WJP throughout the year. We look forward to seeing Taiwan officially included in the Rule of Law Index next year.
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