The document should be formatted in MS Word and will ideally use Times New Roman 12 point font 1.15 spacing—including the notes. (This is useful because when a referee refers to an argument ‘on page 12’, the author will be on the same page.) Notes should be included at the bottom of each page.

The CJLJ is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal. As a result, the online peer review system requires a separate title page and a main document that has been blinded for anonymous review. We require exclusive submission and we do not consider papers that have been previously published elsewhere.

All authors must include a competing interest declaration in their title page. This declaration will be subject to editorial review and may be published in the article. Competing interests are situations that could be perceived to exert an undue influence on the content or publication of an author’s work. They may include, but are not limited to, financial, professional, contractual or personal relationships or situations. If the manuscript has multiple authors, the author submitting must include competing interest declarations relevant to all contributing authors. 

Example wording for a declaration is as follows: “Competing interests: Author A is employed at organisation B. Author C is on the Board of company E and is a member of organisation F. Author G has received grants from company H.” If no competing interests exist, the declaration should state “Competing interests: The author(s) declare none”.

The CJLJ uses a variant of the McGill Guide for citations, footnotes, and references. While the footnotes of an accepted paper will have to be put into McGill Guide style, it is not necessary in a submission to use that style—although it is certainly thoughtful if you do. The CJLJ style guide can be found here.

The journal has no formal limits on the size of submissions although most articles are under 14,000 words—including notes. This is an informal limit because if an absolutely superb, but longer, article finds its way here, we will certainly consider it.

The CJLJ publishes Book Reviews of 2,000-2,500 words, along with Critical Notices, which are titled articles focussed on a single book. Critical Notices can be long as 10,000 words. If you would like to write a Notice or Review please contact the editor to express your interest. Both Book Reviews and Critical Notices should be submitted in the way in which regular articles are. The journal does not do Case Notes or accept papers undertaking to analyze statutes enacted in specific domestic legal orders.

Our Publishing Policy: the CJLJ is a journal specializing in philosophy of law and legal theory. The CJLJ publishes papers in ‘general jurisprudence’, viz., on the nature of law, and papers in ‘special jurisprudence’—that is, about concepts and values present in particular areas of legal study such as contracts, torts, family law, and criminal law. While not an ethics journal, articles on professional ethics are appropriate if sufficiently theoretical and general in scope. The CJLJ does not accept case notes or case comments and does not publish articles that are restricted to narrow controversies or to discussions of legal rules or doctrines local to a single jurisdiction, including Canada. The exceptions are short pieces that we call “Discussions” or “Essays.” These are papers that are especially interesting philosophically, perhaps in the light of important legal events past or present. Similarly, while the CJLJ is not a history journal, historical discussions relevant to philosophy and law are welcomed as studies in the history of ideas.

Queries should be sent by email to [email protected]