SUMMARY

Corruption is widespread and government institutions are subject to a political tug of war over influence. Partly due to these two factors the police and the judiciary are not delivering satisfactory protection of the citizens in the Disputed Areas.

Law enforcement and justice is weakened by an inclination of police and judiciary to accept economic bribery and to be subject to political pressure. Corruption is pervasive on all levels of authority. The execution of state authority is particularly confusing in this part of the country, as a consequence of dual lines of authority that stem from the competition for political control between the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). The citizens show low confidence in their authorities, and both law enforcement and justice in the Disputed Areas show some obvious deficiencies.