Submissions

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.

The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, or RTF document file format.
Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
The text is single-spaced; uses a 10-point Times New Roman font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.

Author Guidelines

MANUSCRIPT REQUIREMENTS

1. Title

The manuscript title should be clear, concise, and accurately reflect the central argument or findings of the paper. Avoid vague or overly broad titles.

Do Not

Frame the title solely as a question without indicating a clear argument.
Use generic phrases such as “A Study on”, “An Examination of”, or “The Role of”.
Include unnecessary classifications unless essential to the subject matter.

Creative and intellectually engaging titles are encouraged but must remain professional and relevant. The Editorial Board reserves the right to recommend alternative titles if needed.

2. Abstract

The abstract must summarise the manuscript's key contributions in not more than 400 words. It should be clear, accessible, and follow the IMRAD format: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.

Guidelines

Avoid abbreviations unless absolutely necessary.
Do not include citations, figures, or tables.
Ensure the abstract is a single paragraph and clearly conveys the paper’s academic significance.

3. Manuscript length

Manuscripts should range between 3,500 and 9,000 words including footnotes, but excluding the abstract, headings, and acknowledgments.
The first page of the manuscript must clearly state the total word count, and the number of figures and tables (if any).
Manuscripts that do not comply with length and formatting requirements may be desk-rejected without review.

4. Language and style

Manuscripts must be written in British English, unless otherwise specified.
Writing should be formal, precise, and free of ambiguity.
Avoid colloquial language, overly rhetorical expressions, or vague phrasing.
Use inclusive and respectful language, avoiding bias related to gender, ethnicity, disability, or socio-economic background.
Manuscripts should be logically structured with clear headings and subheadings.

5. Citation and referencing

All references must conform to the Kabarak Law Citation Index (KALCI).
See: KALCI Style Guide (PDF)
Authors are responsible for providing accurate pinpoint citations and ensuring proper attribution of all sources.
Citations must appear in footnotes, not endnotes.

6. File format and layout

Manuscripts must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.docx) format. LaTeX is accepted only where relevant and properly formatted.
Use Times New Roman, size 10, with single-spacing, and include both page and line numbers for ease of reference during review.

Where available, authors are encouraged to include their DOI (Digital Object Identifier) at the time of submission or before publication.

7. Fees

Kabarak Law Review does not charge fees for any manuscript submitted.

MANUSCRIPT REVIEW

1) Plagarism screening

The Kabarak Law Review upholds a strict anti-plagiarism policy to ensure that all published work maintains the highest academic honesty and originality standards. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited, including the uncredited use of another’s work, self-plagiarism, and excessive reliance on previously published material without proper attribution. All submissions are expected to be fully original and properly cited, adhering to recognised legal citation standards.
To enforce this standard, all manuscripts undergo plagiarism screening as part of the editorial process. The journal employs plagiarism detection tools and manual source and fact-checking to identify instances of uncredited work or misleading citations. The source and fact checking will be conducted using a footnote rubric that will gauge the source's credibility. The rubric will then be sent to the author after verifying the credibility of the sources.
If plagiarism is detected at any stage, the submission is automatically rejected, and the author may face permanent disqualification from submitting to the journal in the future. In cases of minor citation errors, authors may be asked to revise their work, but deliberate misrepresentation of sources is treated as serious academic misconduct.

2. Review process

At Kabarak Law Review, we are committed to ensuring that every manuscript meets the highest academic standards of quality and originality. To achieve this, all submitted manuscripts undergo a four-stage review process, designed to maintain intellectual integrity to legal research standards. This multi-tiered approach ensures that published work contributes meaningfully to legal scholarship while upholding transparency and academic excellence.

The four stages of the review process include, but are not limited to;

1) Preliminary review

The editorial process begins with a preliminary review, where the Editorial Board assesses whether the manuscript aligns with the journal’s scope, formatting guidelines, and thematic focus. This stage ensures that all submissions meet the basic academic and structural requirements before proceeding to further review. At this stage, authors receive initial feedback, including a footnote rubric to verify the accuracy and completeness of all cited sources. As part of our commitment to academic integrity, we emphasise that every citation must be properly referenced with clear pinpoints, and no unverified sources will be permitted.

2) Double-blind peer review

Once the manuscript passes the preliminary stage, it undergoes a double-blind peer review, where both the author and the reviewers remain anonymous. Once a manuscript passes the preliminary review stage, it undergoes a double-blind peer review, a process in which both the author and the reviewers remain anonymous. This ensures that evaluations are based solely on the merit of the work, eliminating potential biases related to identity, affiliation, or reputation. The double-blind peer review consists of two rounds of evaluation. In the first round, experts and leading scholars in the relevant field assess the manuscript’s originality, quality of argumentation, legal reasoning, and contribution to contemporary discourse. Reviewers provide detailed feedback to help the author refine their work, ensuring it meets the highest academic standards. The author is expected to revise their manuscript in response to this feedback before it proceeds to the second round.
In the second round, the revised manuscript is re-evaluated to determine whether the author's revisions adequately address the reviewer's concerns. Reviewers complete a peer review form, which standardises the assessment process by requiring evaluations on important aspects such as depth of analysis, and adherence to scholarly conventions. The journal reserves the right to reject or delay publication if competent peer reviewers cannot be found for a specific topic.

3) Substantive editing review

Following peer review, the manuscript proceeds to substantive editing, where the focus shifts to content depth, structural coherence, and logical consistency. This stage ensures that the manuscript is well-organised, free from major analytical gaps, and aligned with the journal’s thematic framework. Additionally, the Editorial Board verifies whether the author has incorporated peer review feedback, making necessary revisions as recommended. Only after successfully passing this stage is the author formally notified of the paper’s acceptance for publication, pending final publisher edits.

4) Revise editing review

At the final stage, the publisher’s editorial team conducts a revise editing review, ensuring that the manuscript meets professional publishing standards. This includes fine-tuning language clarity, refining citation formats, and addressing any outstanding editorial concerns. If necessary, the revised manuscript may be sent for an additional round of peer review to guarantee that all recommended improvements have been implemented effectively. Final approval is only granted when the manuscript fully adheres to the editorial and scholarly expectations of the journal.
Throughout the review process, we remain committed to transparent communication with authors. We will provide regular updates on the progress of your manuscript, offering clear guidance on revisions where necessary.

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Kabarak Law Review (KLR) is committed to promoting the highest standards of integrity in legal scholarship. In line with internationally recognised best practices, particularly the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), KLR upholds principles of transparency and academic honesty.

All authors submitting to the KLR are expected to maintain ethical conduct in research and publication. Allegations of misconduct, including but not limited to plagiarism, data fabrication, duplicate submission, or improper authorship attribution, will be taken seriously and investigated promptly by the editorial board. Where necessary, the Review will issue corrections, retractions or expressions of concern in the issue following such determination, consistent with COPE’s guidance.

The Review reserves the right to take appropriate editorial or legal action if breaches of publication ethics are identified, including notifying relevant institutions or retracting the published work.

Conflict of Interest Policy

Transparency about potential conflicts of interest is essential for maintaining editorial objectivity and scholarly trust. All authors must declare any actual or perceived conflicts that may be relevant to the content of their submission. These disclosures should be made clearly in the manuscript at the time of submission.

A conflict of interest may include:

Financial relationships related to the subject matter.
Institutional affiliations that may influence the work.
Personal or professional relationships with individuals or organisations mentioned in the manuscript.
Prior involvement in a legal matter under discussion.

Editors and peer reviewers must also recuse themselves from handling any manuscript where they have a conflict, either real or perceived, that could impair their impartiality. This includes cases involving personal relationships, academic competition, or vested interest in the outcome or topic of the manuscript.

As stated in COPE’s Guidelines on Good Publication Practice, a conflict of interest is “one that, when revealed later, would make a reasonable reader feel misled or deceived.”

Articles

Section default policy

Copyright Notice

Upon execution of a publication agreement with Kabarak University Press (KABU Press), the Author and the Publisher shall enjoy the following rights as outlined in the contract:

1. Rights granted to the Publisher

The Author grants KABU Press the following rights, on their own behalf and on behalf of their successors, heirs, executors, or any other party that may lay claim to the work now or in the future:

a) The non-exclusive right to publish, distribute, promote, and sell the submitted work in all languages, formats, and territories as mutually agreed in writing.

b) The right to license or assign the granted rights to third parties, including the right to authorise others to reproduce or otherwise make use of the work.

c) The right to create, adapt, translate, abridge, or develop derivative works based on the original submission.

These rights are granted exclusively for the purposes of scholarly publishing and dissemination, subject to the terms of the publication agreement.

2. Author rights and republishing

The Author retains the right to republish the work under the following conditions:

a) The Author is not required to seek prior permission from the Publisher for republication, provided the new publication explicitly acknowledges the original source.

b) Such acknowledgement must clearly state that the work was first published by Kabarak University Press, including full bibliographic details (journal name, volume, issue, year and page numbers).

c) All rights not expressly granted to the Publisher under the agreement remain with the Author.

3. Scope

Unless otherwise agreed in writing by both Parties, the rights granted to the Publisher under the publication contract may be exercised and enforced globally.

Privacy Statement

The Kabarak Law Review respects the confidentiality and privacy of its authors, reviewers, and readers. Personal data collected during the editorial and publication process, such as names, institutional affiliations, email addresses and biographical notes, will be used solely for the administration and publication of scholarly content.

Such information will not be shared with third parties without the consent of the data subject, except where disclosure is legally required. All data will be handled by relevant data protection regulations and the principles of academic publishing ethics.