Submission Policy & GUIDELINES
1. Submission Policy:
1.1. The Journal invites submissions of original, unpublished work in the field of international law areas relevant to the Journal’s scope.
1.2. By submitting a manuscript, the Author(s) affirm that the submission is original work and has not been published elsewhere, nor is under consideration for publication elsewhere in any form.
1.3. The Journal does not permit simultaneous submissions. Authors must wait for a final decision before submitting the manuscript elsewhere.
1.4. All manuscripts must be submitted in editable document formats (e.g., .doc or .docx), not PDFs. The document shall be renamed as per the chosen topic, and should strictly not contain the name of the Author(s) or their institution.
1.5. Submissions must only be made via the Google Form available HERE. Submissions shall not be accepted in any other matter than prescribed here. For any queries, please write to us at: ilj.spilmumbai@gmail.com.
1.6. All manuscripts must be accompanied with the CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY AND COPYRIGHT, available HERE. If the Author is apprehensive of a conflict of interest, the same disclosure shall be made while submitting the manuscript, in the Google Form itself.
1.7. By submitting the CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY AND COPYRIGHT, the Authors agree that if their manuscript is accepted for publication, the Authors grant the Journal non-exclusive rights to publish the work. Author retains the moral rights over their work and may reuse their content in other formats with appropriate citation.
1.8. Any proven copyright infringement / plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification. The Journal retains the right to recall any published manuscript if it is later discovered that the submitted manuscript suffered from copyright infringement / plagiarism.
2. Submission Categories:
2.1. Long Articles: Word Limit – 6000 to 10000 words, exclusive of footnotes and bibliography. In-depth analysis of issues in public and private international law, comparative international legal regimes, or theoretical frameworks.
2.2. Short Articles or Essays: Word Limit – 4000 to 6000 words, exclusive of footnotes and bibliography. Concise analytical pieces on emerging trends in international law, or under-explored themes in international law.
2.3. Case Comments and/or Legislative Notes: Word Limit – 2000 to 3000 words, exclusive of footnotes and bibliography. Critical evaluations of recent or landmark judgments by international courts and tribunals, and analytical perspectives on international legal developments in national policies or legislations, especially those affecting treaty implementation.
2.4. Treaty and Instrument Analyses: Word Limit – 2000 to 3000 words, exclusive of footnotes and bibliography. Contemporary examination of international treaties, conventions, and customary international law instruments, including drafting history and interpretative concerns.
2.5. Book Reviews: Word Limit – 2000 to 3000 words, exclusive of footnotes and bibliography. Analytical reviews of recent publications relevant to international law, including recent academic texts, commentaries, and practitioner handbooks.
3. General Submission Guidelines:
3.1. Eligibility: The entries are open to all undergraduate and postgraduate students, industry practitioners, academicians and research scholars.
3.2. Authorship: Submissions may be authored by a maximum of 2 (two) Authors. The Authors may choose to provide acknowledgments. Both co-authored and single submissions will be treated as separate entries. Submissions falling into both categories, or duplicate submissions, will be disqualified.
3.3. Abstract: All manuscripts must be accompanied with an abstract, with a maximum limit of 300 (three hundred) words, exclusive of the total word limit. The abstract should clearly indicate the chosen topic of the manuscript.
3.4. Plagiarism: Submissions must constitute the original work of the Author(s). The plagiarism limit is 10% (ten percent). Any submission beyond the plagiarism limit will be disqualified.
3.5. Originality: Each entry must be the previously unpublished work of the Author(s). Manuscripts that have been published elsewhere or selected/submitted for publication elsewhere will be disqualified.
3.6. No Identification: No part of the article should contain any form of identification of the Author, such as the Author’s name, university/college name, etc. Inclusion of any form of identification will result in disqualification.
3.7. Language: All submissions must be in English. Authors must use British spelling conventions as set out in the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
3.8. Citations & Footnotes: Citations and footnotes must follow the Harvard Bluebook 21st Edition referencing style. Avoid the use of extensive footnotes or quotations. It is acceptable to reference or paraphrase thoughts and ideas from standard works without using quotations, provided proper acknowledgment is given in footnotes or other suitable methods.
4. Formatting Guidelines:
4.1. The body of the manuscript must be in Times New Roman, font size 12, with 1.5 line spacing. The footnotes must be in Times New Roman, font size 10, with single line spacing. All margins should be set to 1 inch or 2.54 cm on all sides.
4.2. The manuscript should contain only footnotes (strictly no end notes) as a method of citation. Citations must conform to the Harvard Bluebook 21st Edition.
4.3. To maintain uniformity in all the articles, the Authors are required to adhere to the GLC-SPIL ILJ Style Guide while making their submissions, which can be accessed by clicking HERE.