Peer 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 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.
Ongoing communication and author support
Throughout the review process, we remain committed to clear and transparent communication with authors. We will provide regular updates on the progress of your manuscript and offer specific guidance on revisions where necessary.
We thank you for your commitment to legal scholarship and look forward to working with you through the editorial process.
