WORLD RANKING - CYPRUS 3rd OUT OF 143 COUNTRIES IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION - TRADE UNIONISTS WARN THAT ''INVESTIGATORS ARE GETTING OLD'' - Filenews 26/10 by Fanis Makridis
The global crime index compiled annually by the European-funded US organization World Justice Project (WJP), also presents positive data for Cyprus.
One of the eight sub-areas, in which the 143 countries worldwide are assessed, concerns criminal justice. Although Cyprus has shown a decline in its performance over the last 6 years, it nevertheless ranks relatively high in the overall score for this sector, since it is 25th in the world.
Trying to understand why, despite the continuous decline, our island is in a very good position compared to the countries under evaluation (25th rank), we identified a total of seven subcategories that form the score in the field of "criminal justice".
We ended up with the high score recorded in the evaluation of Cyprus for the effectiveness of the "criminal investigation system". Specifically, the score is 0.72 which brings our island to the three best countries in the world. Simply put, this rating is impressive, given the facts.
"I'm ringing the bell"
Nevertheless, there is also the other side. Police unionists believe that the effort to appoint investigators should continue, as the existing ones will leave and will not be adequately replaced.
The statements made on Friday at noon to his colleague, Nikitas Kyriakou (ANT1 – "Mera Mesimeri") by the president of the police branch of the "ISOTITA" union, Nikos Loizidis, are characteristic.
When the latter was asked about the publication of "F" last Thursday (22/1) about the global index, he referred to the positive performance in the field of "criminal justice" which has to do with the level of Police investigators.
Then, Mr. Loizides, speaking on behalf of the members of the industry, said: "I am sounding the alarm for the investigation. Our interrogators are running out. The investigators have grown old. Many cases have been loaded."
Then the trade unionist. The police complain that new investigators are not coming forward. We will have to find the solution with the leadership to bring more investigators forward, to be grafted by the experienced ones because in a few years we will have a problem."
Improvement
Cyprus in relation to the assessment for 2025 in terms of the "rule of law" shows an improvement, after climbing two steps compared to last year (30/143) and is in 28th place.
In fact, in the press release prepared for Cyprus by the WJP organization, it points out that our island is not deteriorating. The following report is characteristic: "The global decline of the rule of law continues, according to the new WJP Rule of Law Index® 2026, published by the World Justice Project (WJP).
Although the number of countries that recorded a decline has decreased this year compared to last year, the overall picture at global level remains strongly uneven, with the percentage of countries experiencing a decline, at 62%, still exceeding that of countries that are experiencing improvement.
However, Cyprus is in the minority of countries that have shown an increase in their Rule of Law Index score this year.
Cyprus' overall rule of law score increased by less than 1% in this year's Index. The country ranks 28th among 143 countries worldwide.
Regionally, Cyprus ranks 21st among 31 countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association and North America."
Performance in "order and security"
Mr. Loizides was asked on Friday on ANT1 to comment on the parameter highlighted by "F" last Thursday. According to our relevant report, Cyprus continues to have a downward trend in the field of "order and security" (0.79), while as we pointed out it is at the lowest level in the last six years. We explained that Cyprus is in 45th place out of 143 countries worldwide (the weakest category for Cyprus out of eight in total). Mr. Loizides, commenting on this statistic, said: "This should concern us. It is linked to crime and the safety of citizens, but also to the violent self-justices that take place in the neighbourhoods." And he added: "I think it comes to 'marry' with the issue of C3, the modernization of the police that will be the central control of the Message Control Center and the Immediate Intervention Unit (KEM-ULAE), with more patrols to be able to go to the points." He concluded by referring to the reorganization that the Chief of Police is trying to implement and pointing out that "we are less than 600 police officers" and that there should be a "change in the organizational chart".
Highlights recorded by the WJP for Cyprus
- Most of the reports about our island are positive
In the press release it prepared for our island, the organization focuses on the following points:
>> Authoritarianism is no longer an emerging trend – it is now entrenched: more than 86% of countries have shown a sustained decline over the past five years in at least one of the safeguards against authoritarian rule: restrictions on government powers, open government or fundamental rights. This includes Cyprus.
>> The freedoms necessary for civil society action, public debate and government control are shrinking in most countries:
* "Freedom of opinion and expression" declined in 64% of countries, but not in Cyprus.
* "Freedom of assembly and association" declined in 67% of countries, but not in Cyprus.
* "Citizen participation" declined in 65% of countries, but not in Cyprus.
>> In both the criminal and civil justice systems, undue pressure and interference by the executive have become the main factors of institutional degradation. Civil justice deteriorated in 64% of countries and criminal justice in 58%, with undue government influence emerging as a central factor in both areas.
>> Judicial systems are also losing ground in general in the face of the excessive expansion of executive powers: the indicator of the limitation of governmental powers by the judiciary declined in 63% of countries. This includes Cyprus.
>> However, civil justice is becoming more accessible, affordable and equitable:
– The indicator "Access to and affordability of recourse to civil justice" showed an improvement in 54% of countries, including Cyprus.
– The indicator "Civil justice is free from discrimination" showed an improvement in 52% of countries, including Cyprus".
