Conflict of Interest
Peer-Reviewed · Open Access · Law and Justice
Conflict of Interest
The International Journal of Law and Justice (IJLJ) is committed to maintaining transparency, fairness, and integrity throughout the research, peer-review, and publication process. Authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the publication process should disclose any conflict of interest that may affect, or may reasonably appear to affect, their objectivity or judgment.
What Is a Conflict of Interest?
A conflict of interest may arise when an individual's personal, professional, financial, academic, institutional, political, or other interests could influence their judgment or create a reasonable perception of bias in relation to a manuscript or publication decision.
In legal scholarship, potential conflicts may also arise from professional involvement in a case or legal matter discussed in a manuscript, affiliations with relevant institutions or organizations, or interests connected with the legal issues under examination.
A conflict of interest does not necessarily indicate misconduct. Disclosure allows potential conflicts to be considered transparently and, where appropriate, managed to protect the integrity of the editorial and peer-review process.
Roles and Responsibilities
Authors
Authors should disclose relevant conflicts of interest associated with their manuscript, including, where applicable:
✓Research funding or grants
✓Financial relationships or support
✓Paid consultancies, legal advisory roles, or other professional engagements
✓Professional or institutional relationships that may affect the research or its presentation
✓Involvement in, or a material interest in, legal proceedings or matters directly discussed in the manuscript
✓Affiliations with government bodies, legal institutions, advocacy groups, or other organizations where these interests could reasonably be perceived as influencing the work
✓Other interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or its presentation
Where no relevant conflict exists, authors should provide a clear Conflict of Interest declaration stating this. Authors should provide this declaration at the time of manuscript submission.
Reviewers
Reviewers should disclose any circumstance that could create an actual or perceived conflict in relation to a manuscript they are invited to review. This may include, for example, a recent collaboration, a close personal relationship, a competing professional interest, involvement in a legal matter discussed in the manuscript, or a significant relationship with the author or an affiliated institution.
A reviewer should not participate in the review where a conflict could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, the impartiality of the evaluation.
Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and should not use information obtained through peer review for personal, professional, legal, or other advantage.
Editors and Editorial Team
Editors and members of the editorial team should identify and disclose relevant conflicts that could affect their editorial judgment.
Where a conflict exists, the editor should, where appropriate, recuse themselves from handling the manuscript, and appropriate arrangements may be made to ensure that the manuscript is handled independently and objectively.
Editors should exercise particular care where a manuscript concerns a legal institution, organization, proceeding, or professional matter with which they have a relevant personal or professional connection.
Disclosure and Transparency
Conflict-of-interest disclosures should be made accurately at the appropriate stage of the submission or publication process.
Disclosure enables IJLJ to assess relevant circumstances and, where necessary, take appropriate measures to protect the fairness, independence, and integrity of editorial and peer-review decisions.
Where appropriate, a relevant declaration may be included in the published article to support transparency for readers.
Undisclosed Conflicts
If a relevant conflict of interest is identified after submission or publication, IJLJ may review the circumstances and request clarification or an appropriate disclosure from the individuals concerned.
Where necessary, IJLJ may take further action in accordance with its applicable editorial and publication policies.
Responsibility
Authors, reviewers, editors, and other relevant participants share responsibility for providing complete and truthful disclosures of conflicts of interest.
Failure to disclose a relevant conflict may be considered when assessing the integrity of the submission, review, or publication process.
Policy Review
IJLJ may review and update this policy periodically to ensure that it remains consistent with recognized standards and responsible practices in scholarly publishing.