1.0 Introduction
The Mount Kenya University Law Journal (MKULJ) is a flagship project of the Centre for International and Development Law (CIDLaw), an international legal research centre with a cutting-edge research and policy reforms initiatives. It is hosted by the Mount Kenya University School of Law, Parklands on the 5th floor. The centre offers training, education, critical research, advocacy and networking platforms for both staff and students. The journal gives an opportunity to staff members, practitioners, and all other interested persons to publish their scholarly works. All works are peer-reviewed before the publication.
Volume 3 Issue 1 was released in August 2023 . Authors are invited to submit their manuscripts for Volume 3 Issue 2 to be published before the end of the year, 2023. The manuscripts should be written in English and can be on any topic in Law. Manuscripts should be submitted to the Editor in Chief, through lawjournal@mku.ac.ke, accompanied by a signed declaration that the manuscript has not been published, submitted, or accepted for publication elsewhere, and that no plagiarism has been committed. The format of the Declaration is appended hereto.
2.0 Scope of the Publication
The journal accepts unpublished scholarly work discussing any area of the law, although manuscripts with an inclination on Law and Development are highly welcome. The word limit is as follows:
• Articles: 8000-12,000 words excluding footnotes
• Case and book reviews: 2000 words excluding footnotes
• Commentaries and updates on recent legal developments: 1,500 words excluding footnotes
3.0 House Style
All manuscripts must be in conformity with the 4th edition of the Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities which can be accessed at: https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/oscola_4th_edn_hart_2012.pdf
The manuscripts must be typed:
Font type: Times New Roman
Font size: 12 (10 for footnotes)
Line spacing: 1.5 (1.0 for footnotes)
Text alignment – Justified
4.0 Titles and Sub-titles
The title of the manuscript must be written in bold, upper case and must not be longer than 16 words.
All subtitles must be written in bold, lower case, with each first letter of root words in uppercase.
5.0 Numbering
All main titles and sub-titles must be numbered as follows:
TITLE
Author’s Name (with biographical information in a footnote numbered using an asterisk*)
1.0 Main Subtitle
1.1 Subtitle
1.1.1 Further subtitle
6.0 Author’s Names, Titles, Affiliations and Acknowledgements
The names of the author should be written in full in the order of first name, middle name (if any) and surname, and must appear immediately below the title, followed by an email address. The author’s institutional and professional affiliation, if any, biographical information and/or acknowledgements should be provided in a first footnote, which should be asterisked (*) and not numbered
7.0 Abstract and Keywords
Authors must provide an abstract at the beginning of the article. The abstract must strictly be between 150 and 250 words, with no footnotes, and in Times New Roman, size 10. The abstract must be indented on both sides. Authors should also provide six key words immediately after the abstract. Pay attention to the selection of keywords. Compound nouns and phrases are accepted.
8.0 Language, Spelling and Editing
Only manuscripts written in standard (grammatically correct and structurally good) UK English and spelling will be accepted. Authors are advised to ensure that they edit or proofread their manuscripts before submission. Manuscripts with serious structural and/or grammatical mistakes shall be rejected. Authors who do not have good mastery of written English are advised to seek assistance from professional language editors. This step will enable journal editors and reviewers to concentrate on the substance of the article
9.0 Plagiarism Check
Manuscripts will be checked through anti-plagiarism software for similarity. Authors must check their manuscripts for plagiarism before sending them to the Editor in Chief and before signing the anti-plagiarism declaration. Any manuscripts found to have been plagiarized will be rejected outright.
9.0 Editorial Process
| Activity | Timeline |
| Call for Papers | August 2023 |
| Submissions Deadline | 30th November 2023 |
| Preliminary review | Feedback to be given by 15th December 2023 |
| Peer-review and feedback to authors | TBC |
| Review by editorial board, further feedback to authors and receipt of final manuscripts from authors | TBC |
| Editing, publication and launch | TBC |
DECLARATION
I/We……………………………………………………………………(name of author/authors), who wishes/wish to submit my/our manuscript for publication in the …………………………………………………………………………(name of Journal) do hereby declare that the manuscript has not been published nor has it been submitted or accepted for publication elsewhere. I/we also declare that the article is my/our original work and that it has not been plagiarized.
Signature(s): _______________________ Declared at: ____________________________
