Georgia ranks among Europe’s top five for 13-year progress in judicial independence

The World Bank has published the results of a Freedom House global survey on judicial independence, placing Georgia among the top four countries in the post-Soviet space and among the top five European countries in terms of progress over the past 13 years.

The survey assesses judicial independence from 2013 to 2026 and covers 196 countries and territories worldwide.

The study provides a four-point assessment of the question: “Is there an independent judiciary?” According to the report, only five European countries have improved their judicial independence indicators since 2013: Georgia, Italy, Czechia, Slovenia, and Albania.

According to the 2026 assessment, Georgia ranks ahead of all its neighbors in terms of judicial independence. It is also among the top four countries in the post-Soviet space, alongside the Baltic states, and is on a par with five EU and NATO member states: Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

Among the other EU candidate countries, Moldova and Ukraine rank among the lowest in Europe in terms of judicial independence, alongside Russia and Belarus.

The study shows that Moldova’s level of judicial independence has deteriorated since 2016, while Ukraine’s indicator has remained unchanged since the rule of former President Viktor Yanukovych.

The report also notes that until 2013, Georgia, alongside Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, ranked among the bottom four countries in Europe in terms of judicial independence, placing it among the worst-performing countries worldwide.

Since 2013, 31 countries and territories worldwide, including Georgia, have recorded improvements in their judicial independence indicators, while the situation has deteriorated in 41 countries and territories.