Focus and Scope

Selaparang: Journal of Law Studies (SEJALS)

Focus and Scope

Legal Scholarship, Governance, Justice, and Societal Transformation

Advancing legal scholarship for justice, accountability, inclusive governance, and responsive legal systems in a changing society.
JOURNAL FOCUS

Selaparang: Journal of Law Studies (SEJALS) is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes critical, forward-looking scholarship on law as a living system shaped by institutions, communities, and changing social realities. The journal gives priority to research that examines how legal norms operate within plural legal orders, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, where state law, religious law, and customary practices frequently overlap and compete. By focusing on the relationship between law, governance, and social structures, SEJALS contributes to the development of responsive legal systems that can address inequality, strengthen institutional trust, and support societal transformation.

SEJALS encourages research that combines doctrinal analysis with socio-legal inquiry, empirical investigation, comparative perspectives, and interdisciplinary approaches to understand the role of law in contemporary society. The journal seeks to promote critical legal discourse that strengthens justice, accountability, institutional development, and social resilience.

Core Thematic Areas
 
AREA 01
Legal Pluralism, Governance & Administrative Law
  • Legal pluralism and the interaction of state law, customary law, and religious law
  • Local legal systems and regulatory frameworks
  • Administrative law and public administration
  • Administrative discretion and judicial review
  • Public institutional accountability
  • Governance, regulatory authority, and institutional relationships
AREA 02
Justice Reform & Institutional Development
  • Judicial reform and judicial independence
  • Access to justice and legal services
  • Legal institutions and institutional development
  • Regulatory effectiveness and law enforcement
  • Legal policy innovation and reform
  • Dispute resolution and alternative dispute resolution
  • Institutional trust and the rule of law
AREA 03
Human Rights & Inclusive Legal Systems
  • Human rights protection and enforcement
  • Minority rights and vulnerable groups
  • Gender equality and non-discrimination
  • Social justice and equitable legal frameworks
  • Constitutional rights and civil liberties
  • Legal protection and access to equal treatment
  • Inclusive justice and social protection
AREA 04
Public Policy, Social Structures & Socio-Legal Studies
  • Law and public policy development
  • Legal regulation and policy implementation
  • Law, social cohesion, and community relations
  • Public trust and institutional legitimacy
  • Community norms and civic participation
  • Law and social transformation
  • Socio-legal research in emerging and transitional societies
AREA 05
Environmental Law, Economic Regulation & Sustainable Development
  • Environmental law and environmental governance
  • Natural resource management and regulation
  • Climate regulation and environmental justice
  • Environmental law enforcement and compliance
  • Industrial law and economic regulation
  • Investment, trade, and business regulation
  • Economic development and the public interest
AREA 06
Comparative, Transnational & Technology Law
  • Comparative law and cross-jurisdictional analysis
  • Transnational law and regional legal integration
  • Legal developments in the Asia-Pacific
  • Digital transformation and legal systems
  • Technology law and digital governance
  • Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies regulation
  • Ethical and legal implications of technological change
Additional Legal Perspectives

SEJALS also welcomes scholarly contributions addressing broader legal developments and interdisciplinary legal questions, particularly those that connect legal theory, institutional practice, and contemporary societal challenges.

• Islamic law and contemporary legal issues • Constitutional law and constitutional development
• Legal theory and jurisprudence • Customary law and indigenous communities
• Law enforcement and legal compliance • Legal ethics and professional responsibility
Research Approaches and Methodologies
 
01 Doctrinal and normative legal research examining legislation, legal principles, and jurisprudence.
02 Empirical legal research using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches.
03 Socio-legal research exploring the relationship between law, institutions, and society.
04 Comparative and transnational legal analysis across jurisdictions and legal traditions.
05 Interdisciplinary research integrating legal perspectives with social, political, economic, environmental, and technological studies.
What SEJALS Prioritizes
 
01 Original and significant contributions to contemporary legal scholarship and discourse.
02 Rigorous doctrinal, empirical, socio-legal, comparative, or interdisciplinary research methodologies.
03 Critical examination of legal institutions, governance structures, and the implementation of legal norms.
04 Research addressing justice, accountability, human rights, inclusivity, and institutional responsiveness.
05 Meaningful contributions to legal reform, public policy, and social transformation, particularly in the Asia-Pacific context.
Scope Boundary

SEJALS does not prioritize manuscripts that are purely descriptive, lack a clear legal dimension, or do not make a substantive contribution to legal scholarship. Submissions primarily focused on business, economics, management, education, language, tourism, natural sciences, or general social issues without meaningful engagement with legal theory, legal institutions, legal norms, governance, or regulatory frameworks are generally outside the journal's principal scope. Manuscripts that merely describe legal provisions without critical analysis, theoretical engagement, empirical evidence, or meaningful scholarly contribution may also fall outside the journal's priorities.

Interdisciplinary Legal Research

SEJALS welcomes interdisciplinary studies that demonstrate a clear and substantive legal contribution. By combining normative analysis with empirical insight, comparative perspectives, and interdisciplinary inquiry, the journal aims to provide a forum for scholarship that critically assesses the capacity of legal systems to sustain justice, accountability, and social resilience in a rapidly changing world.