Therule of lawbasically means government according to established laws and principles which are not applied in arbitrary ways. Several specific problems impede the rule of law in Arab countries:
-
There is a tendency in most Arab countries to apply laws selectively and officials often exercise a wide measure of discretion in their application.
-
The powerful and wealthy can often influence the law to their own advantage – over-riding the principle that no one should be above the law.
-
Corruption andwasta(use of "connections", especially family ties) often lead to the law being circumvented.
-
There is a considerable degree of political control over the judiciary.
-
In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the law is not fully codified, resulting in inconsistent decisions by individual judges.
See also pages oncorruptionandwasta.
Further information
Rule of Law
A compilation of recent articles by the Arab Reform Bulletin.
Worldwide Governance Indicators
Reports from the World Bank, 1996-2008, with indivudal country reports:
Worldwide Governance Indicators
Background information from Wikipedia
Private prisons in Yemen
Tribes, and the sheikhs who operate their own jails. Moussa al-Nomrani, Tharwa Foundation, 2008
