Guest Editor Guidelines
Peer-Reviewed · Open Access · Law and Justice
Guest Editor Guidelines
Guest Editors play a key role in the editorial and peer-review process at the International Journal of Law and Justice (IJLJ). In taking on this role, Guest Editors are expected to act with independence, fairness, confidentiality, and academic integrity at every stage of manuscript handling.
Editorial Independence and Impartiality
Every editorial decision should rest on the manuscript's academic merit — its originality, relevance, quality of legal analysis, and methodological rigor. Personal, professional, financial, political, or institutional interests should never improperly influence that judgment.
If a Guest Editor has a conflict of interest with a manuscript, they must disclose it and step back from handling that submission where appropriate.
Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest can arise from any relationship — personal, professional, financial, academic, or institutional — that might reasonably influence editorial judgment. Common examples include:
A recent or ongoing collaboration with one of the authors
A close personal or professional relationship with an author
A direct supervisory or institutional connection
An unresolved academic, legal, or professional dispute
Involvement in a legal matter discussed in the manuscript
A financial or commercial stake in the manuscript's subject matter
When a conflict is identified, IJLJ will reassign the manuscript to another qualified, independent editor where appropriate.
Confidentiality
Everything encountered during the editorial process — manuscripts, reviewer reports, correspondence, unpublished legal arguments, and editorial discussions — is confidential. Guest Editors must not share this information with unauthorized parties or use it for personal, professional, financial, or competitive gain.
Guest Editors must also protect confidential manuscript information when using editorial systems or any permitted supporting tools.
The Peer-Review Process
IJLJ uses a structured double-blind peer-review process, with each manuscript typically evaluated by two or more independent reviewers with relevant expertise. Guest Editors are responsible for selecting appropriately qualified reviewers and ensuring the process runs fairly and confidentially, free from undue influence.
Reviewers should be selected according to the manuscript's subject, their academic or professional expertise, availability, and any potential conflicts of interest. Guest Editors should take reasonable steps to protect the identities of authors and reviewers to the extent practicable.
What Reviewers Assess
Manuscripts are evaluated, where applicable, on:
✓Originality and contribution to the field of law and justice
✓Quality of legal analysis, argumentation, and research design
✓Validity of data, analysis, interpretations, and conclusions
✓Accuracy and relevance of legal citations, legislation, judicial decisions, and other supporting authorities
✓Clarity and organization
✓Quality and relevance of cited references
✓Ethical compliance and appropriate treatment of confidential or sensitive information
Editorial Decisions
Based on reviewer feedback and the Guest Editor's overall assessment, a manuscript may receive one of the following recommendations:
Accept Minor Revisions Major Revisions Reject
Authors asked to revise their work should receive clear guidance and a reasonable window to resubmit.
Final authority over acceptance and publication always rests with the Editor-in-Chief or a designated senior editor.
Publication Ethics and Misconduct
Guest Editors are expected to safeguard research and publication integrity and to flag any concerns — including plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication or falsification, authorship disputes, peer-review manipulation, undisclosed conflicts of interest, inaccurate legal citations, misrepresentation of judicial decisions, or improper AI use — in line with IJLJ policy.
Depending on the situation and available evidence, this may lead to rejection, correction, an Expression of Concern, retraction, or other appropriate corrective action in accordance with the journal's applicable policies.
Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers are expected to:
✓Keep all manuscript information confidential
✓Give objective, constructive feedback
✓Disclose any conflicts of interest
✓Never use confidential review material for personal benefit
✓Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe
✓Assess legal arguments and supporting authorities fairly and accurately, where relevant
Responsible Use of the Editorial System
Anyone using the IJLJ submission and review platform must not manipulate the peer-review process, submit false reviewer information, access manuscripts without authorization, improperly share peer-review information, or otherwise interfere with editorial decisions or system operations.
Guest Editors must follow the journal's confidentiality and Generative AI policies when using AI-assisted tools or other services in connection with editorial work.
Editorial Records
IJLJ may retain editorial and peer-review records for legitimate purposes related to quality control, publication ethics, and recordkeeping, consistent with applicable privacy and data-protection requirements and the journal's Privacy Policy.