Call for papers

Concept note

The international legal order established after 1945 rests on a set of shared commitments: the prohibition of the use of force, the peaceful settlement of disputes, cooperation through multilateral institutions, and rules governing economic relations among States. In recent years each of these commitments has been tested in practice, and the institutions that give them effect have become the subject of renewed debate among States, international courts and scholars.

Questions concerning the use of force and self-defence, the design of peace processes and post-conflict arrangements, proposals for the reform of the United Nations Security Council, changes in the conduct of international trade and in the multilateral trading system, and the 2025 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect of climate change have each prompted fresh inquiry into how international law is made, interpreted and applied. At the same time, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies raise questions of governance to which existing rules offer only partial answers.

Volume I of the CLRS Journal of Global Justice & Governance invites scholarship that examines these developments with rigour and balance. The journal welcomes doctrinal, theoretical, comparative, empirical and interdisciplinary contributions, and seeks perspectives from different legal traditions and regions of the world. Papers may analyse the existing law, assess competing interpretations or propose reform, provided that their arguments rest on sound sources and engage fairly with opposing views.

The journal takes no position on the questions raised by the theme. Submissions are assessed through peer review solely on their originality, scholarly rigour and contribution to the field.

Theme and sub-themes

International Law and the Changing Global Order: Peace, Trade and Institutions

• The use of force, self-defence and the framework of the UN Charter
• Peace processes, post-conflict governance and new institutional arrangements
• Reform of the UN Security Council and representation in international institutions
• International trade law, tariffs, digital trade and the multilateral trading system
• Climate change obligations of States, including the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 2025
• Governance of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
• Membership, financing and the future of multilateral organisations
• International courts and tribunals, accountability and remedies

The sub-themes are indicative. Related and emerging questions within the journal’s aims and scope are also welcome.

Who may submit

The call is open to academics, researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and students from any country and any legal tradition. Submissions must be original, unpublished and not under consideration by another journal or publisher.

A paper may have up to three authors. Each co-author confirms their authorship by email. Submissions are accepted in English.

Article types and length

Citations follow the Bluebook (21st edition). The submission guidelines set out what each type of paper should contain.

Important dates

How to submit

1. Read the guidelinesThe submission guidelines and the Formatting Guidelines explain how to prepare the paper.
2. Submit an abstract by 30 November 2026An abstract of 300 to 400 words, with 4 to 6 keywords, through the online form. A Manuscript ID is sent to you by email.
3. Selection of abstractsThe editors consider each abstract for its fit with the theme and its scholarly promise. If yours is selected, you are invited to submit the full paper by 31 January 2027.
4. Submit the full paperAn anonymised manuscript in Word format, with a separate cover page giving the authors’ names, affiliations and contact details.
5. Screening and peer reviewThe paper is screened for similarity and for AI-generated text, then sent for double-blind peer review.
6. DecisionThe editors decide in the light of the reviewers’ reports: accept, revise or decline, with the reasons for the decision. A revised paper may return to the reviewers.
7. Proofs and publicationAccepted papers are prepared for publication, and the authors approve the proofs before the paper is published.

You can follow your paper at every stage on the manuscript tracker, with your Manuscript ID and email address.

Peer review and ethics

Every paper that passes the editors’ first reading is reviewed double-blind: the reviewers do not know the authors, and the authors do not know the reviewers. Editors and reviewers declare any conflict of interest and step aside where one exists.

The journal follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authors declare any use of AI tools in preparing the paper, and confirm that the work is their own and properly cites its sources. Appeals: once per decision, within 14 days.

See the peer review policy, the publication ethics and malpractice statement and complaints and appeals.

Publication and licence

The journal is open access: every article is free to read on publication. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence (licence terms). Each article receives a DOI registered with Crossref, and is published with its issue.

See open access and licence.

Charges

There is no charge to authors at any stage: no submission, review or publication fee.

Documents for authors

• Submission guidelines
• Formatting Guidelines
• Aims and scope
• Peer review policy
• Publication ethics and malpractice statement
• Open access and licence
• Author charges
• Complaints and appeals
• Editorial board
• Track a manuscript

Contact

Questions about the call may be sent to editor.jgjg@academyclrs.org, or through the contact page. Please give your Manuscript ID if you have one.