Submission Guidelines

Broad Theme

The MNLUM Criminal Law Review Blog is a scholarly platform aimed at fostering rigorous and accessible discourse on criminal law, criminal justice administration, penology, criminology, and allied fields. We seek contributions that critically engage with doctrinal developments, policy debates, legislative analyses, judicial trends, and interdisciplinary perspectives relevant to the criminal justice system.

The Blog accepts the following categories:
• Blog Articles / Short Articles
• Case Comments or Case Analyses
• Legislative or Policy Commentaries

All submissions must demonstrate analytical depth, originality, and relevance to contemporary criminal justice concerns. Purely descriptive or explanatory pieces without critical engagement are discouraged and may be rejected at the preliminary review stage.

General Submission Guidelines

  • Authors are requested to strictly adhere to the Guidelines for submissions as laid down below. Submissions not in conformity with the Guidelines for Submissions may be rejected at the discretion of the Editors.  
  • Co-Authorship upto a maximum of two members is allowed.
  • The pieces will be assessed on the basis of the following parameters:
    • Originality and Insight;
    • Structure and Coherence;
    • The Relevance of the Topic;
    • Language and Grammar;
    • and Quality and Relevance of Sources.
  • The submissions must not contain any identification details of the author(s), including name, institutional affiliation, acknowledgements, or any other information revealing the identity of the author(s). Such details should only be provided in the submission form.
  • The Editors reserve the right to make the final decision on the selection, editing, and publication of all submissions. Accepted articles and their copyrights shall vest with MNLU Mumbai.  
  • The blog does not allow cross-posting of blogs that have been previously published elsewhere. However, the blog is open to cross-posting pieces that were initially published by the MNLUM CLR, subject to prior intimation.

Plagiarism & AI Policy

  • All submissions must be the original and unpublished work of the author(s). Any form of plagiarism exceeding 30% shall lead to preliminary rejection of the submission.
  • The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is permitted for limited purposes such as summarising cases and improving phrasing. However, authors shall remain solely responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their submissions, and violations on these grounds will result in preliminary rejection.

Formatting Rules

  • Word count: 800-1500. However, longer submissions on the basis of their quality may be considered, subject to editorial approval.
  • Font Size: Size 12 pts for Body; Size 10 pts for Footnotes.
  • Spacing: Should be 1.5 for body; Should be 1.0 for Footnotes.
  • Alignment: Justified
  • Citation style: All citations must be hyperlinked. In cases where this is not possible, the citations may be provided in the form of footnotes and must conform to the Bluebook 21st Edition standard.

How to Submit

  • All submissions are to be made only through this Google form.
  • The submissions should be submitted only in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format.
  • The editorial review cycle typically takes up to three weeks from the date of submission. However, this timeline may vary depending on external factors such as the volume of submissions and reviewer availability. If authors do not receive a response within three weeks, they may reach out to the Editorial Board at clr.crcj@mnlumumbai.edu.in.