Map of the regional scores in Western Europe and the European Union. Source: Transparency International
Moreover, the report underscores the European Parliament’s recent resolution urging Maltese authorities to intensify investigations into potential cases of former public officials obstructing justice and concealing evidence related to the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
In addition to challenges in reporting corruption, the report describes how weaknesses in judicial systems across various countries pose significant barriers to accessing justice and curbing government overreach.
Transparency International’s report states that the EU has raised concerns about the appointment procedures for judges and the overall quality of the justice system in several countries, including Malta (51), Sweden (82), Spain (60), Poland (54), Croatia (50), Greece (49), Lithuania (61), and Ireland (77). These issues underscore the pressing need for systemic reforms to address corruption and strengthen the rule of law across the region.
The relationship between dysfunctional justice systems and corruption
The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the twelfth year in a row, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50, indicating severe corruption problems.
For the sixth year in a row, Denmark tops the global ranking with a score of 90. It is followed closely by Finland and New Zealand, with scores of 87 and 85, respectively. Norway (84), Singapore (83), Sweden (82), Switzerland (82), the Netherlands (79), Germany (78) and Luxembourg (78) are the countries in the top 10 this year.
Conversely, countries grappling with conflict or severely restricted freedoms and weak democratic institutions tend to fare poorly. This year, Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13) and South Sudan (13) are at the bottom of the index. Moreover, the top 25 countries in the index make up just over 10 per cent of the world’s people. Over 80 per cent of the world’s population lives in countries with CPI scores below the global average of 43.
Percentage of countries with CPI scores below 50. Source Transparency International
This year’s CPI report focuses on the relationship between well-functioning justice systems and the fight against corruption. The report notes that when the justice system is weak, dysfunctional, or lacks independence, it cannot uphold the law and ensure it is applied equally to all. As the report aptly points out, CPI scores also plummet in countries where public officials and private entities face minimal consequences for misconduct.
François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International, said, “Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check. When justice is bought or politically interfered with, the people suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption.”
The full report and related data for Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index can be found here.
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Source link : https://theshiftnews.com/2024/01/30/malta-retains-all-time-lowest-score-on-corruption-perception-index/
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Publish date : 2024-01-30 08:00:00
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