Submissions

Author Guidelines

The manuscript must be written in English, single-spaced, two columns, with a length of 3,500 to 8,000 words (the word count excludes the reference list/footnotes). To ensure a blind review process, the author's identity must not be included within the manuscript body; all author metadata must be completed exclusively on the Open Journal System (OJS) submission portal. Authors must provide full names (the surname must not be abbreviated; academic titles and professional positions must be omitted), institutional affiliation (department/faculty, institution, and country), and an active official institutional email address (designating only one primary correspondence email).

The manuscript must follow the standard legal scholarly structure established by the Association of Law Journal Editors and Managers (APJHI): TITLE, ABSTRACT, KEYWORDS, INTRODUCTION, MAIN DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, ADDITIONAL SECTIONS (OPTIONAL).

TITLE

The title should consist of 8–15 words in concise phrases rather than complete sentences. The title must not specify geographical locations, mention research methods (e.g., juridical review, legal analysis), or include institutional names when addressing conceptual issues. The name of a legal instrument may be included only if it constitutes the principal subject of the study.

ABSTRACT

The abstract must not exceed 250 words, written as a single paragraph using single-line spacing. It is not merely a summary, but a concise statement covering:

(1) Purpose/core research problem and background importance;

(2) Method (briefly stated without elaborate descriptions);

(3) Principal findings and novelty, and;

(4) Practical/legal implications or impact. The abstract must not mention specific names of legal instruments, figures, tables, or bibliographical citations.

KEYWORDS

Each article must include 3–5 keywords or key phrases. Keywords must not contain geographical locations, specific legal instruments, or names of institutions.

INTRODUCTION

Accounting for approximately 10% of the article’s total word count, the introduction must be structured to include:

(1) Relevant background leading directly to the central legal issue;

(2) A concise literature review and state-of-the-art citing no more than 10 scholarly references from books and journal articles to demonstrate novelty;

(3) A clearly formulated research question;

(4) A brief methodological explanation (if presenting empirical research);

(5) The central thesis/principal conclusion in response to the research question, and;

(6) An outline of the main supporting arguments (e.g., Arguments 1, 2, 3, and 4).

MAIN DISCUSSION

The main body should be divided into structured thematic sections corresponding directly to the supporting arguments outlined in the introduction (Discussion Section 1, Discussion Section 2, etc.). Authors must place strong emphasis on critical legal analysis, analytical engagement with facts, and doctrinal evaluation rather than merely reproducing statutory texts, court decisions, or descriptive data.

CONCLUSION

Accounting for approximately 5% of the total word count, the heading should consistently use either Conclusion or Concluding Remarks. It must be presented in continuous prose without numbered lists or bullet points, addressing the research objectives, summarizing key findings, and offering actionable recommendations or implications. The conclusion must not introduce new arguments, citations, or substantive findings not previously discussed.

ADDITIONAL SECTIONS (OPTIONAL)

Placed after the conclusion and before the references (where applicable): Funding disclosure, Conflicts of Interest statement, Author Contributions, and Acknowledgements.

CITATION & REFERENCES

The journal adopts the footnote citation system prescribed by The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), 18th edition (2024). Authors are required to use reference management software such as Zotero or Mendeley. Each manuscript should cite at least 15 references, with a recommended composition of 40% scholarly books and 60% peer-reviewed journal articles. Authoritative legal materials (e.g., statutory provisions, court decisions) must be classified and treated as primary legal sources. A separate reference list is not mandatory provided that all cited sources are fully incorporated into the journal's metadata and footnote citations.

WRITING STYLE, TABLES, AND FIGURES

First-person pronouns (I, you, we, us, the author) must not be used and should be replaced with impersonal constructions (such as this article or this paper). All tables and figures must be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals and explicitly referenced in the narrative (e.g., "Table 1", "Figure 1"). Table titles must appear above the table, and figure captions below the figure. High-resolution graphics must be supplied without using screen captures or vertical table borders.

Writing Guidelines of BENE Law Review can be downloaded here

Template of BENE Law Review can be downloaded here