By Desmond Davies
London, Feb 9, GNA – As the rule of law continues to slide worldwide for the eighth straight year, justice ministers from across the Commonwealth – including officials from Ghana – are meeting this week in Fiji for urgent talks on how to halt the decline.
Fiji is hosting the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting in Nadi from Monday until Thursday, at a moment of growing global concern.
According to the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2025, the world is now in a deepening “rule of law recession”, with 68 per cent of countries recording declines in 2025, up from 57 per cent in 2024.
The Index points to a worrying erosion of checks on government power, shrinking civic space, weakened judicial independence and a rise in authoritarian practices.
More than 70 per cent of countries saw increased restrictions on civic freedoms last year, while key safeguards meant to restrain executive overreach weakened in most countries.
Against this backdrop, Commonwealth ministers and attorneys general will meet under the theme “Anchoring Justice in a Changing Tide: Strengthening the Rule of Law for a Resilient Future.”
Discussions will focus on how strong legal systems protect everyday life – from democratic participation and fair work – to safe communities and environmental protection.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said the stakes could not be higher.
“The rule of law remains essential to peace, stability and development, yet it is under serious pressure in many parts of the world,” she said.
“Where it is weakened or unevenly applied, the impact is felt most sharply by ordinary people.”
She stressed that the Commonwealth’s commitment must go beyond words.
“It demands practical, thoughtful commitment and cooperation, not rhetoric.”
For Africa, the meeting comes with both warning signs and glimmers of hope.
While many countries on the continent have been affected by the global downturn, the WJP Index notes that every region has at least one country improving.
In Africa, Senegal led the way in 2025, with a 1.6 per cent gain, bucking the global trend.
Fiji’s Minister for Justice and acting Attorney General, Siromi Turaga, who is chairing the meeting, said ministers would explore how justice systems could remain flexible, inclusive and responsive amid challenges such as climate change, digital transformation and regional cooperation.
Five side events will also bring youth leaders, disability rights advocates and people with lived experience of the justice system into the conversation – a move organisers say is vital at a time when civic space is shrinking globally.
The outcomes from Fiji are expected to shape discussions at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) later this year in Antigua and Barbuda.
With the rule of law weakening in most parts of the world, the message from Nadi is clear: restoring trust in justice systems is no longer optional; it is urgent.
GNA
Edited by Beatrice Asamani Savage