NFSU Law Review · SLFJPS · NFSU
NFSU Law Review is the official peer-reviewed law journal of the School of Law, Forensic Justice and Policy Studies (SLFJPS), National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU). The journal invites original scholarly contributions from students, academics, legal practitioners, and policy researchers across disciplines relevant to its scope. This Submission Policy sets out the eligibility criteria, formatting requirements, procedural obligations, and ethical standards that all contributors must satisfy before and at the time of submission. Careful compliance with these guidelines is mandatory and non-negotiable. Submissions that do not adhere to this policy may be returned without editorial review.
NFSU Law Review welcomes submissions from law students (undergraduate and postgraduate), research scholars, doctoral candidates, academic faculty, legal practitioners, and interdisciplinary researchers whose work engages with the thematic scope of the journal. There is no restriction on institutional affiliation or geographic origin, provided the submission is in the English language and satisfies all requirements set out in this policy. Co-authored submissions are accepted, subject to the condition that all listed co-authors have made a genuine, substantive, and verifiable intellectual contribution to the work. Submissions authored entirely by persons outside academia, such as independent researchers or policy professionals, are also considered where the work demonstrates adequate scholarly rigour and engagement with legal literature.
NFSU Law Review accepts submissions across the following categories:
Research Paper are full-length scholarly papers presenting original legal analysis, doctrinal research, or interdisciplinary inquiry. Research articles are typically between 8,000 and 9,500 words, inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of the abstract and bibliography.
Student Essays are shorter analytical pieces addressing a specific legal question, emerging issue, or policy concern. Essays are typically between 2,500 and 4,500 words inclusive of footnotes.
Case Commentaries critically analyse a significant judicial decision, tribunal ruling, or arbitral award. Case commentaries are typically between 1,500 and 3,000 words inclusive of footnotes.
Policy Analysis examine the implications, shortcomings, or significance of a piece of legislation, regulatory framework, or policy instrument. Legislative analyses are typically between 2,000 and 4,000 words inclusive of footnotes.
The editorial board may, at its discretion, accept submissions that marginally exceed prescribed word limits where the academic value of the work justifies it. Authors who anticipate exceeding the stated limits are advised to seek prior approval from the editorial board before submission.
All submissions must be entirely original works that have not been previously published, presented, or accepted for publication in any journal, conference proceeding, edited volume, institutional newsletter, online platform, or any other medium, whether in print or digital form, in whole or in substantial part. A submission is considered previously published if a substantially similar version has appeared in any public or semi-public forum accessible to readers beyond the author's immediate academic circle. Authors who have presented early versions of their work at academic conferences or workshops must disclose this at the time of submission and confirm that the submitted manuscript represents a substantially developed and independently publishable version of that earlier presentation. The editorial board will assess, on a case-by-case basis, whether the degree of overlap with a previously presented or circulated version is acceptable.
Manuscripts submitted to NFSU Law Review must not be simultaneously under consideration by any other journal, publication, edited volume, or competition at the time of submission. Simultaneous submission that is, the submission of the same or substantially similar manuscript to more than one publication at the same time without disclosure constitutes a serious violation of academic ethics and this policy. If an author wishes to withdraw a submission from NFSU Law Review in order to submit it elsewhere, the author must notify the editorial board in writing prior to doing so. Upon confirmation of withdrawal by the editorial board, the author is free to submit the work to another publication. Breach of this prohibition, if discovered before or after publication, may result in immediate rejection or retraction and formal notification to the author's institution.
All submissions must be written in clear, precise, and formal academic English. The editorial board accepts manuscripts written in either British English or American English, provided that the chosen convention is applied consistently throughout the manuscript. Authors are encouraged to ensure that their work is carefully proofread and edited for grammar, syntax, spelling, and clarity prior to submission. Submissions that are poorly written to the degree that they impede comprehension of the legal argument may be returned without review. Non-native English speakers are encouraged to seek appropriate language assistance before submitting. The responsibility for the linguistic quality of the submission rests with the author(s).
All submissions must conform to the following formatting specifications at the time of submission. Manuscripts submitted in non-conforming formats may be returned for reformatting before they are processed.
Manuscripts must be submitted as Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx). PDF submissions will not be accepted for the purpose of editorial review, though authors may be asked to provide a PDF version at the post-acceptance stage.
The body text of the manuscript must be set in Times New Roman, size 12, with double line spacing and one-inch margins on all sides. Footnotes must be set in Times New Roman, size 10, with single line spacing. Pages must be numbered consecutively in the footer. The manuscript must not contain the author's name, institutional affiliation, or any other identifying information anywhere in the document, including in the file name, document properties, or metadata, in order to facilitate the double-blind review process.
A separate cover page must be submitted alongside the manuscript containing the title of the submission, the full name(s) of the author(s), institutional affiliation(s), academic designation(s), email address(es), a brief biographical note of no more than 80 words per author, and a declaration of originality and compliance with this policy. The cover page must not be included within the main manuscript file.
All research articles, essays, legislative analyses, and research notes must be accompanied by an abstract of between 150 and 250 words placed at the beginning of the manuscript, following the title. The abstract must concisely state the central argument or research question, the methodology or analytical approach adopted, the principal findings or conclusions, and the contribution of the work to existing scholarship. Following the abstract, authors must provide a list of five to eight keywords that accurately reflect the core themes, legal concepts, and subject matter of the submission. Abstracts and keywords are not required for case commentaries and book reviews, though authors may include them if they choose.
NFSU Law Review follows a footnote-based citation system. In-text citations are not accepted. All references, sources, and acknowledgements must appear in the footnotes and, where applicable, in a bibliography appended at the end of the manuscript. Authors must adopt a consistent citation style throughout the manuscript. The journal recommends the use of the OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities) citation format, which is the standard for legal academic writing in India and internationally. Authors using an alternative citation format must ensure that it is comprehensive, consistent, and academically recognised, and must indicate the style adopted in a footnote at the first instance of citation.
All cited sources must be accurately referenced, including full case names, neutral citations, law report citations, statute titles and years, author names, publication titles, edition, publisher, year, and page numbers as applicable. Web-based sources must include the full URL and the date on which the source was last accessed. Authors are solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all citations in their submission.
In keeping with the journal's double-blind peer review policy, all submissions advanced for external review must be fully anonymised. Authors must ensure that the main manuscript file does not contain their name, institutional affiliation, acknowledgements, funding disclosures, or any self-referential citation that could identify them to a reviewer. Where the author's own prior work is cited, the citation should appear in the third person in the same manner as any other cited source. Authors must also clear identifying metadata from the document file before submission. The editorial board will conduct a basic anonymity check prior to dispatch for review, but the primary responsibility for ensuring anonymity rests with the author(s). Submissions found to contain identifying information at the review stage may be returned for anonymisation before proceeding.
By submitting a manuscript to NFSU Law Review, the author(s) make the following declarations and undertakings, which are deemed to form part of the submission:
That the submission is the author's own original work and has not been plagiarised from any source; that the work has not been previously published or accepted for publication in any other medium; that the work is not simultaneously under consideration by any other publication or competition; that all co-authors listed have made a genuine intellectual contribution and have approved the submission; that all sources, citations, and data included in the manuscript are accurate and properly attributed; that the submission does not contain defamatory, unlawful, or ethically impermissible content; that any necessary ethical clearances, permissions, or informed consents required in connection with the research have been obtained; and that the author(s) grant NFSU Law Review the right of first publication of the work upon acceptance, in accordance with the journal's publication rights policy.
Submissions must be sent to the official editorial email address of NFSU Law Review. The submission email must include the main manuscript file (anonymised, in Word format) and the separate cover page (in Word or PDF format) as attachments. The subject line of the submission email must clearly indicate the category of submission and the title of the manuscript. Authors will receive an acknowledgement of receipt from the editorial board within a reasonable period following submission. This acknowledgement confirms only that the submission has been received and does not constitute any representation regarding its eligibility, suitability, or likelihood of acceptance. Authors are advised not to follow up on the status of their submission before the timeline communicated by the editorial board has elapsed.
An author who wishes to withdraw a submission after it has been received by the editorial board must notify the editorial board in writing as soon as possible. Withdrawal requests will be processed promptly, provided that the manuscript has not yet been accepted for publication. Once a manuscript has been formally accepted for publication, withdrawal is not permitted without the prior written consent of the editorial board, and the editorial board may decline such requests or impose conditions. Authors who withdraw accepted manuscripts without consent may be subject to restrictions on future submissions to NFSU Law Review. The editorial board will not entertain requests for withdrawal that are motivated by the receipt of an acceptance offer from another publication, as such conduct constitutes a breach of the prohibition on simultaneous submission.
NFSU Law Review reserves the right to revise, update, or supplement these submission guidelines at any time to reflect changes in editorial practice, institutional requirements, applicable academic standards, or other relevant considerations. Any amendments will be published on the journal's official website and communicated to contributors through appropriate channels. Authors are advised to refer to the most current version of this policy before submitting. Submissions received after the date of any amendment will be governed by the revised guidelines. For any queries or clarifications regarding the submission process, authors are encouraged to contact the editorial board through the journal's official communication channels prior to submission.