"Rule of Law Index" is released by which of the following?

Correct: D, World Justice Project. The Rule of Law Index is published annually by the World Justice Project (WJP), an independent, multidisciplinary NGO founded in 2006 and based in Washington DC. It scores countries on eight factors, including limits on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice.

• A (Amnesty International): It is a human rights advocacy NGO. Its output is the annual human rights report and campaigns, not a rule of law ranking.
• B (ICJ): The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the UN under Article 92 of the UN Charter. It settles disputes between states and gives advisory opinions. It does not rank countries.
• C (UN Commissioner for Human Rights): The correct title is High Commissioner. The OHCHR works on human rights mandates and reporting, and does not publish the WJP index.

The concept links to governance indicators like the World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators. For Mains GS-II, the index is a useful reference point when discussing accountability, judicial reform and corruption. Check the latest edition for India's position, since rankings change every year.

Trap: Because the rule of law is a constant UN theme, aspirants often pick a UN body. Remember that this index is produced by a private NGO.