For Editors

Information for the Editors

The Editor and Editorial Board of Law & Society in Transition are responsible for overseeing the journal's academic vision, editorial integrity, peer-review process, quality control, and publication standards. As a biannual, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal, the editorial process is designed to ensure that every published contribution is original, rigorous, relevant, ethically sound, and aligned with the aims and scope of the journal.

 

The Editor considers the entire publication process as a coordinated scholarly process—from the initial submission of a manuscript to its peer review, revision, final acceptance, editing, and publication.

 

The Editor has overall responsibility for maintaining the academic quality, integrity, independence, and intellectual direction of Law & Society in Transition.

The Editor and Editorial Board oversee:

·         Manuscript submissions and preliminary editorial assessment.

·         Selection and coordination of peer reviewers.

·         Evaluation of reviewer reports.

·         Editorial decisions and revision processes.

·         Academic and publication ethics.

·         Final selection of manuscripts for publication.

·         Copy-editing and preparation of accepted manuscripts.

·         Maintenance of the journal's publication schedule.

·         Continuous development of the journal's scholarly profile.

Alignment with the Journal's Vision

The Editor ensures that the content published in the journal reflects its central mission of examining law and society in transition.

Particular attention is given to scholarship dealing with:

·         Emerging and developing areas of law.

·         Legal and systemic reform.

·         Transitional justice.

·         Technological transformation and law.

·         Law and social change.

·         Constitutional, institutional, and governance issues.

·         Human rights and justice.

·         Comparative and international legal developments.

·         Interdisciplinary approaches to legal questions.

·         Innovative and future-oriented perspectives on law and society.

The Editor also seeks to maintain a balance between classical legal scholarship and innovative, critical, and forward-looking research.

Manuscript Reception and Preliminary Evaluation

Every manuscript received by the journal undergoes an initial editorial assessment.

At this stage, the Editor considers whether the submission:

·         Falls within the aims and scope of the journal.

·         Presents an original and meaningful scholarly contribution.

·         Demonstrates adequate academic and analytical quality.

·         Uses appropriate sources, methodology, and legal authorities.

·         Meets the journal's basic submission requirements.

·         Raises any immediate concerns relating to plagiarism, ethical conduct, or academic integrity.

Manuscripts that do not satisfy the journal's basic requirements or fall substantially outside its scope may be declined at this stage.

Editorial Screening and Selection for Peer Review

Where a manuscript is considered potentially suitable for publication, the Editor initiates the peer-review process.

The Editor selects reviewers with appropriate subject expertise and, where necessary, interdisciplinary knowledge relevant to the manuscript.

The selection of reviewers takes into consideration:

·         Academic expertise.

·         Relevant research experience.

·         Independence from the author.

·         Absence of conflicts of interest.

·         Ability to provide an objective and substantive assessment.

Peer-Review Management

The Editor oversees the peer-review process to ensure that manuscripts receive fair, independent, and constructive scholarly evaluation.

The Editor monitors:

·         Reviewer selection and availability.

·         Timeliness of reviews.

·         Quality and relevance of reviewer reports.

·         Divergent or conflicting reviewer assessments.

·         Requests for additional reviews where necessary.

·         Confidentiality throughout the review process.

Where reviewer reports substantially differ, the Editor may seek an additional assessment or exercise independent editorial judgment before reaching a decision.

Evaluation of Manuscripts

In considering a manuscript, the Editor assesses its overall scholarly contribution, including:

·         Originality of the research or argument.

·         Significance and relevance of the subject.

·         Quality and depth of legal analysis.

·         Theoretical or conceptual contribution.

·         Research methodology, where applicable.

·         Accuracy and appropriate use of legal authorities.

·         Engagement with relevant literature.

·         Interdisciplinary contribution.

·         Clarity and organisation.

·         Contribution to contemporary debates concerning law and society.

The Editor considers both the substantive quality of the manuscript and its potential contribution to the journal's broader intellectual mission.

Decision on Manuscripts

Following peer review, the Editor makes an informed editorial decision based on the manuscript, reviewer reports, and the journal's standards.

Possible outcomes may include:

·         Acceptance

·         Acceptance subject to Minor Revisions

·         Major Revisions and Resubmission

·         Rejection

Reviewer recommendations are an important component of the editorial process but do not automatically determine the final decision. The Editor retains responsibility for the final editorial judgment.

Revision and Resubmission

Where revisions are required, the Editor communicates the principal issues identified during the editorial and peer-review process to the author.
The Editor considers whether the revised manuscript:

·         Adequately addresses substantive reviewer concerns.

·         Improves the quality and coherence of the argument.

·         Corrects identified legal, methodological, or factual weaknesses.

·         Strengthens its engagement with relevant scholarship.

·         Meets the journal's academic and formatting requirements.

Where necessary, a revised manuscript may be returned to the original reviewers for further assessment.

Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

The Editor ensures that manuscripts and associated editorial materials are handled confidentially throughout the publication process.

Editorial decisions should remain independent of personal, political, institutional, commercial, or other external influences.

Any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest involving an editor, reviewer, or author should be appropriately disclosed and managed.

Diversity and Interdisciplinary Scholarship

The Editor seeks to maintain the journal as an inclusive and genuinely interdisciplinary forum.

The journal welcomes scholarship from different jurisdictions, legal traditions, academic disciplines, methodologies, and intellectual perspectives.

The Editor particularly encourages research that brings legal scholarship into meaningful conversation with disciplines such as:

·         Sociology

·         Political science

·         Philosophy

·         Economics

·         History

·         Technology and digital studies

·         Public policy

·         Governance and development studies

Interdisciplinary scholarship is evaluated on the basis of its scholarly rigour, relevance, and meaningful integration of perspectives rather than on disciplinary boundaries alone.

Publication Schedule

Law & Society in Transition is published biannually, in January and July.

The Editor coordinates the complete editorial workflow to ensure that sufficient time is available for:

Submission → Editorial Screening → Peer Review → Revision → Final Decision → Copy-Editing → Proofreading → Publication

The Editor may establish internal deadlines and workflows to maintain the regularity and quality of publication.

Maintaining the Intellectual Character of the Journal

The Editor has an important responsibility to ensure that Law & Society in Transition develops a distinctive intellectual identity.

The journal seeks to publish scholarship that does not merely describe existing legal frameworks but also:

·         Questions established assumptions.

·         Identifies limitations within existing legal systems.

·         Examines the social consequences of legal change.

·         Responds to emerging global and technological challenges.

·         Explores innovative approaches to justice and governance.

·         Imagines possible future directions for law and society.

Editorial Commitment

The overall editorial responsibility of Law & Society in Transition is guided by a commitment to quality, fairness, independence, transparency, academic integrity, and intellectual innovation.

The Editor and Editorial Board seek to ensure that every manuscript is assessed on its scholarly merit and that every stage of the publication process contributes to the journal's central purpose: to provide a rigorous and forward-looking platform for understanding how law, institutions, and society respond to a world in constant transition.

Through this integrated editorial process, Law & Society in Transition aims to establish a publication environment in which established scholarship is critically examined, emerging ideas are encouraged, and innovative research can contribute meaningfully to the future of law, justice, governance, and society.