Peer Review Process

Manuscripts submitted to the Kajian Hukum undergo an editorial screening and a rigorous double-blind peer review process to ensure that published articles meet high academic standards and contribute significantly to the development of legal scholarship. Under the double-blind review system, the identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the review process.

The average time from manuscript submission to the final editorial decision is approximately 12–16 weeks, depending on the availability of reviewers, the quality of revisions, and the responsiveness of the authors.

Editorial Screening
Upon submission, every manuscript is evaluated by the Editorial Team to determine whether it falls within the journal's focus and scope, complies with the author guidelines, and satisfies the journal's ethical and technical requirements.
Before entering the peer review process, all manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening using plagiarism detection software. Manuscripts with an unacceptable level of similarity or those that violate publication ethics will be rejected or returned to the authors for correction before peer review.
Manuscripts that successfully pass the editorial screening proceed to the peer review stage.

Peer Review
Each eligible manuscript is assigned to at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the manuscript's subject area. The journal applies a double-blind peer review system to ensure fairness, objectivity, and academic integrity throughout the evaluation process.
Reviewers are normally requested to complete their evaluation within three to four weeks.

Review Recommendation
Following the review process, reviewers may recommend one of the following decisions:

  1. Accept – The manuscript is accepted for publication without further revisions.
  2. Revisions – The manuscript is acceptable for publication after the authors satisfactorily address the reviewers' comments. The revisions may be minor or major, depending on the extent of the required improvements.
  3. Resubmit for Review – The manuscript requires substantial revision and must be resubmitted for a new round of peer review before a publication decision can be made.
  4. Reject – The manuscript is not suitable for publication because it does not meet the journal's academic standards, falls outside the journal's scope, or contains fundamental methodological or ethical issues.

The final editorial decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief after considering all reviewers' recommendations.

Revision Stage
Authors receiving a revision decision are requested to submit:

  • A revised manuscript with all changes clearly highlighted; and
  • A detailed Response to Reviewers explaining how each review comment has been addressed.

The revision deadlines are as follows:

  • Minor revisions: within 2 weeks.
  • Major revisions: within 4 weeks.

Failure to submit the revised manuscript within the specified period may result in the withdrawal of the manuscript from the review process.

Final Decision
After the revised manuscript is received, the Editorial Team evaluates whether the reviewers' comments have been adequately addressed. When necessary, the revised manuscript may be returned to the original reviewers for further evaluation.
Based on the review results, the Editor-in-Chief will make one of the following final decisions:

  • Accept for publication;
  • Request additional revisions; or
  • Reject the manuscript.

The Editor-in-Chief's decision is final.

Copyediting and Proofreading
Accepted manuscripts proceed to the copyediting and proofreading stages to improve language quality, formatting consistency, and compliance with the journal's style guidelines. Authors will receive page proofs for final approval and may only correct typographical or formatting errors at this stage.

Publication
After the final proof has been approved by the authors, the manuscript proceeds to layout editing, DOI registration, and online publication in the Kajian Hukum.