Submission Guidelines

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

General Guidelines

Capital Law Review invites contributions in the following categories:

• 1)

  Research Article: 4,000 to 8,000 words

• 2)

  Short Article: 1,500 to 4,000 words

• 3)

  Case Notes and Legislative Commentary: 2,000 to 5,000 words

• 4)

  Book Review: 1,500 to 3,000 words

The aforementioned word limit is exclusive of footnotes. It is to be noted that up to 3 authors are allowed for each category.

For Margin Notes:

• 1)

  Anecdotes, satires, Poems, short stories, personal reflections, parody, or even a slice of courtroom humour or any other creative work with a legal flavour that doesn’t fall into the traditional forms of article/ research paper writing, bearing a nexus to law and contemporary developments in the field of law: up to 2000 words

All submissions must be made through the submissions page on the official website of Capital Law Review or through the official email id of the journal. Submissions made through any other mode will not be accepted.

Authors are advised to ensure that all required information and documents are uploaded at the time of submission. Incomplete submissions may be returned for revision before being processed.

Originality and Exclusivity

By submitting a manuscript, the author(s) confirm that:

• 1)

  The manuscript is original and has not been previously published, either in whole or in part in any journal, blog or other publication.

• 2)

  The manuscript is not under consideration by any other journal, publisher, or platform simultaneously.

• 3)

  All sources have been appropriately acknowledged and cited.

• 4)

  The submission does not infringe upon any copyright or intellectual property rights.

Formatting Requirements

Authors are requested to adhere to the following formatting specifications:

• 1)

  Main Text

  • (a)

    Font: Times New Roman

  • (b)

    Font Size: 12 pt

  • (c)

    Line Spacing: 1.5

  • (d)

    Alignment: Justified

  • (e)

    Margins: Standard (1 inch on all sides is preferred)

  • (f)

    Page Numbers: Consecutively numbered

• 2)

  Footnotes

  • (a)

    Font: Times New Roman

  • (b)

    Font Size: 10 pt

  • (c)

    Line Spacing: Single (1.0)

Citation Style

All references must be provided only in the form of footnotes. The journal accepts citations in any one of the following citation styles:

• 1)

  Harvard Bluebook (21st Edition)

• 2)

  Indian Law Institute (JILI) Citation Style

• 3)

  OSCOLA (Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities)

• 4)

  APA

Authors should use one citation style consistently throughout the manuscript. Mixing citation styles within the same submission is discouraged.

Style Guide

• 1)

  Use clear, precise, and professional academic language. Avoid unnecessarily complex or verbose writing.

• 2)

  Authors are required to maintain consistency in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, and terminology throughout the manuscript. Grammar, syntax, and punctuation should be carefully proofread prior to submission.

• 3)

  Foreign words or Latin expressions should be italicized where appropriate.

• 4)

  Headings and sub-headings should follow a logical hierarchy and consistent formatting.

• 5)

  Quotations exceeding fifty words should be presented as block quotations.

• 6)

  Abbreviations should be expanded upon first use.

• 7)

  Avoid excessive use of emphasis such as bold, underlining, or capitalization. Italics may be used sparingly where appropriate.

Review Process

Every submission undergoes a preliminary editorial screening to assess its suitability for the journal's scope and compliance with the submission requirements.

The journal aims to complete the review process within a maximum period of one week from the date of submission. In most cases, authors will be informed of the status of their manuscript before the expiry of this period. While every effort is made to adhere to this timeline, exceptional circumstances may occasionally result in slight delays.

Editorial decisions may include:

• 1)

  Acceptance;

• 2)

  Acceptance subject to minor revisions;

• 3)

  Invitation to undertake major revisions and resubmit; or

• 4)

  Rejection.

It is clarified that the Editorial Board's decision in this regard shall be final.

Ethical Standards

Authors are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Any form of plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification, or unethical research practices will result in immediate rejection of the manuscript and may invite further action at the discretion of the Editorial Board.

Kindly refer to the AI policy, Plagiarism Policy and the Copyright Policy given at the end.

Communication with Authors

All communication regarding the status of a submission shall be made through the contact details provided during submission. Authors are requested not to submit duplicate inquiries regarding the status of their manuscript during the review period unless exceptional circumstances arise.

Compliance with Guidelines

Submission of a manuscript constitutes acceptance of these Submission Guidelines. Manuscripts that fail to comply with these requirements may be returned to the author(s) for correction or would be rejected. The decision of the Editorial Board in this regard would be final.

AI POLICY

• 1.

  Purpose

  • 1.1

    Capital Law Review (hereinafter referred to as “The Journal”) is committed to preserve and uphold the principles of academic integrity, originality, transparency, and independent scholarship in the field of law. In this regard, the Artificial Intelligence Usage Policy (hereinafter referred to as “Policy”) governs the use of Artificial Intelligence (hereinafter referred to as "AI") tools in connection with manuscripts submitted for publication and the corresponding obligations of authors.

  • 1.2

    For the purposes of this Policy, "AI" includes any generative AI system, large language model, machine learning application, automated writing or research assistant, or any other technology capable of generating, modifying, analysing, summarising, translating, or otherwise producing research or written content.

• 2.

  Prohibited use of AI

  • 2.1

    Every manuscript submitted to this Journal shall represent the independent intellectual effort of the author(s). No part of the manuscript shall be generated, authored, or substantively influenced by AI except as expressly permitted under this Policy.

  • 2.2

    Without prejudice to the generality of Clause 2.1 and any amendments, additions or modifications that may be made from time to time, AI shall not be used to:

    • (a)

      Write, generate, summarise, rewrite, edit, or paraphrase any part of the manuscript, including but not limited to research questions, hypotheses, methodology, legal issues, analysis, interpretation, reasoning, arguments, conclusions, recommendations, or any other substantive component;

    • (b)

      Formulate or improve analysis or scholarly opinion;

    • (c)

      Prepare case analyses, interpretations, comparative analyses, or doctrinal discussions;

    • (d)

      Generate or insert citations that have not been independently reviewed by the author(s);

    • (e)

      Fabricate legal authorities, quotations, data, factual assertions, or research findings;

    • (f)

      Perform any other task that forms part of the author's independent scholarly or intellectual contribution.

  • 2.3

    The aforementioned list is not exhaustive and the Editorial Board retains the right to include any other act in the same in order to uphold and protect the academic integrity of the Journal.

  • 2.4

    Any use of AI that substitutes for, contributes to, materially influences, or shapes the author's independent intellectual contribution shall constitute a violation of this Policy, irrespective of whether such use is specifically identified in the present Policy and would lead to a rejection of the manuscript.

  • 2.5

    The author(s) remains responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and academic quality of the manuscript.

• 3.

  Permitted Use

  • 3.1

    AI may be used only for limited assistive or administrative purposes that do not contribute to the substantive intellectual content of the manuscript. Permissible uses, in limited capacity, include:

    • (a)

      spelling, grammar and punctuation correction;

    • (b)

      formatting of citations, references, footnotes, and bibliographies; and

    • (c)

      Other comparable editorial or organisational assistance that does not alter or generate the substantive content of the manuscript.

  • 3.2

    Author(s) shall independently verify the existence, authenticity, and current legal status every authority, provision, caselaw, factual assertion etc. cited in the manuscript. No citation generated or suggested by AI shall be included unless the underlying source has been independently reviewed by the author(s).

  • 3.3

    Submission of AI-generated case-laws, statutory provisions, factual assertions or other legal authorities is strictly prohibited. Any manuscript containing non-existent, fabricated or fictitious authorities will be rejected at the threshold.

  • 3.4

    The use of AI for the purpose of disguising plagiarism, circumventing academic integrity standards, or misrepresenting the originality of a manuscript shall constitute a publication misconduct and the manuscript will be liable to be rejected.

• 4.

  Author(s) Responsibility

  • 4.1

    AI tools cannot be recognised as authors or co-authors.

  • 4.2

    The author(s) remain solely responsible for:

    • (a)

      originality of the manuscript;

    • (b)

      the accuracy of all factual and legal assertions;

    • (c)

      authenticity and correctness of all citations and authorities

    • (d)

      compliance with applicable ethical and legal standards; and

    • (e)

      the overall integrity and scholarly quality of the work.

  • 4.3

    Reliance on AI shall not diminish or transfer any responsibility from the author(s).

• 5.

  Editorial Review and Enforcement

  • 5.1

    The Journal reserves the right to request clarification or additional information regarding any disclosed or suspected AI use.

  • 5.2

    The Journal may employ plagiarism detection software, AI-detection tools, editorial review, or any other appropriate means to evaluate compliance.

  • 5.3

    The Journal retains absolute discretion to determine whether any disclosed or suspected AI use complies with this Policy and whether a manuscript satisfies the Journal's publication standards.

  • 5.4

    Non-compliance with this Policy may result in rejection of the manuscript, withdrawal of acceptance, retraction following publication, prohibition on future submissions, notification to the author's institution where appropriate, or any other action deemed necessary by the Editorial Board.

• 6.

  Interpretation

  • 6.1

    This Policy shall be interpreted in a manner that preserves academic integrity, independent legal scholarship, originality, transparency, and responsible research practices.

  • 6.2

    The permissions and prohibitions contained in this Policy are illustrative and not exhaustive. Any use of AI that is inconsistent with the objectives or underlying principles of this Policy may be treated as a violation notwithstanding the absence of an express prohibition.

  • 6.3

    The Editorial Board shall have the final authority to interpret and apply this Policy in relation to any manuscript submitted to the Journal. The Editorial Board’s decision regarding compliance with this Policy shall be final.

• 7.

  Effective Date and Amendments

  • 7.1

    This Policy shall apply to all manuscripts submitted to the Journal on or after its effective date.

  • 7.2

    The version of the Policy in force on the date of submission shall ordinarily apply to the assessment of a manuscript unless the Editorial Board determines otherwise.

  • 7.3

    Journal reserves the right to amend, modify, replace, or withdraw this Policy so as to reflect changes in technology, academic publishing norms, editorial practice, or the needs of the time.

PLAGIARISM POLICY

• 1.

  Purpose

  • 1.1

    Capital Law Review (hereinafter referred to as “The Journal”) is committed to preserve and uphold the principles of academic integrity, originality, transparency, and independent scholarship in the field of law. In this regard, authors are expected to submit original work that has not been plagiarised, copied or improperly reproduced from other sources.

• 2.

  Plagiarism screening and thresholds

  • 2.1

    All manuscripts submitted to the Journal will be screened for textual similarity using recognized plagiarism detection software (e.g., Turnitin, iThenticate, or an equivalent system) prior to peer review and/or publication. The plagiarism assessment will be conducted excluding footnotes, references, bibliography, and other automatically excluded sections such as quotations, as these often contain standard citations and source material.

  • 2.2

    A manuscript may have an overall similarity index of up to 10%, excluding the aforementioned parts of the manuscripts.

  • 2.3

    A manuscript with an overall similarity index greater than 10% will not be considered for publication and may be returned to the author(s).

  • 2.4

    The Editorial Team reserves the right to assess each similarity report individually. A manuscript may be rejected even if the similarity index is below 10% if unattributed copying, rephrasing or unethical/ abusive text is identified.

• 3.

  Consequences of Plagiarism

  • 3.1

    If plagiarism is identified at any stage of the publication process, the Journal may take one or more of the following actions:

    • 3.1.1

      Reject the manuscript.

    • 3.1.2

      Request revisions or clarification from the authors.

    • 3.1.3

      Retract a published article if plagiarism is discovered after publication.

    • 3.1.4

      Notify the authors' affiliated institutions, funding agencies, or relevant authorities in cases of serious publication misconduct.

    • 3.1.5

      Restrict future submissions from the responsible author(s) for a period determined by the Editorial Board.

Submission of a manuscript to the Journal constitutes acceptance of this Plagiarism Policy. Authors are strongly encouraged to check their manuscripts for originality before submission to ensure compliance with the Journal's ethical standards.