| Variable | Measurement | Era | Code | N | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equality under the law | “Are citizens equal under the law, do
they have access to an independent, non-discriminatory judiciary, and are they respected
by the security forces?� Countries were given ratings from 0 to 4. The higher the rating the greater the degree of equality under the law. A country is assigned to a particular category based on responses to the checklist and the judgments of the Survey team at Freedom House. (See Freedom House, Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties, 1994-95). Ratings transformed to 0 to 10 scale | 1990s | LegalEqual_1990s | 62 | Djankov et al. 2001, using ‘Economic Freedom of the World 1975-1999’. |
| Defendant Protection Index | Mean of ‘protection
granted by procedural law to tenant and family by reducing disparity in means and legal
representation between landlord and tenant’ and ‘protection granted by
procedural law to debtor and family by limiting creditor’s access to defendant’s assets or
reducing disparity in means and legal repress’. 1 high, 0 low | 1990s | LegalProtc_1990s | 75 | Djankov et al. 2001 |
| Humana index, part of | Scale 1-4 Mean of scores on items 29) (1) Right to a nationallity, (2) Right not to be arbitrarily deprived of a nationality nor denied to change the nationality, 30) Right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to the law in a public trial in which person has had all the guarantees necessary for defence, 31) Entitlement to the following minimum guarantees, in full equality, in the determination of any criminal charge: to be tried in presence; to defend in person or through legal assistance of own choosing; to be informed of this right; to have legal assistence assigned in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment in any such case if accused does not have sufficient means to pay for it, 32) Entitlement in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal in the determination of rights and obligations and of any criminal charge, 33) Right to be brought promptly before a judge or other officer authorized by law to exercise judical power when arrested or detained on a criminal charge and right to trial within as reasonable time or to release…, 34) Right not to be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy, family, home or correspondence nor to be unlawful attacked on honour and reputation, 35) Right to own property alone as well as in association with others and not to be arbitrarily deprived of property. | 1990 | LegalRights_1990 | 46 | Humana 1992, items 29-35 |
Related topics: Corruption, Human rights, Legal system
Related themes: Law
The dataset States of Nations is about characteristics of countries in periods (macro variables). It is part of the World Database of Happiness. Though developed for the identification of societal conditions for happiness, this source can also be used for other purposes.