Editor Responsibilities
Editor Responsibilities
Justitia Nova: Indonesian Journal of Modern Law is committed to maintaining high standards of editorial quality, integrity, transparency, and independence. Editors play a central role in ensuring that every manuscript is assessed fairly, objectively, and consistently on the basis of its academic merit, legal significance, originality, and relevance to the journal’s aims and scope. In fulfilling their responsibilities, editors are expected to adhere to internationally recognized standards of scholarly publishing and the ethical principles promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Editorial Independence
Editors shall exercise independent and impartial judgment in all editorial matters. Editorial decisions must not be influenced by commercial interests, political considerations, institutional pressure, personal relationships, or other external factors. Decisions concerning the evaluation, review, revision, acceptance, or rejection of manuscripts shall be based exclusively on academic quality, originality and novelty, methodological rigor, legal significance, relevance to the journal’s aims and scope, and compliance with applicable publication ethics and research integrity standards.
Fairness and Impartiality
Editors shall evaluate manuscripts fairly and without discrimination. No manuscript shall receive preferential or unfavorable treatment on the basis of an author's nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, race or ethnicity, religion, political views, or other personal characteristics. All submissions shall be considered according to the same academic, ethical, and editorial standards, irrespective of the identity, geographical location, or institutional status of the authors.
Confidentiality
Editors shall maintain strict confidentiality throughout the editorial and peer review process. Submitted manuscripts, reviewer identities, author identities within the Double-Blind Peer Review system, editorial correspondence, and unpublished research findings shall be treated as confidential information. Such information may only be disclosed to individuals directly involved in the editorial process and shall not be shared with unauthorized persons or used for personal, professional, or competitive advantage.
Management of Peer Review
Editors are responsible for ensuring that the peer review process is rigorous, fair, independent, and appropriate to the subject matter of each manuscript. Editors shall appoint reviewers with relevant scholarly expertise and, where possible, no identifiable conflicts of interest with the authors or the research under review. They shall monitor the quality and timeliness of peer review, consider reviewer reports objectively, and exercise independent editorial judgment when making decisions. Where reviewer assessments differ substantially or raise unresolved academic concerns, editors may seek additional expert evaluation before reaching a final decision.
Conflict of Interest
Editors must disclose and appropriately manage any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could compromise, or reasonably appear to compromise, their impartiality. An editor shall not handle a manuscript for which the editor is an author or co-author, has a close personal or professional relationship with any of the authors, or has a financial, institutional, or other interest that may affect independent judgment. In such circumstances, responsibility for the manuscript shall be transferred to another qualified editor who can manage the editorial process independently.
Publication Ethics and Research Integrity
Editors are responsible for safeguarding the ethical integrity of the journal and its published scholarly record. They shall respond appropriately to allegations or suspicions of plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabrication, falsification, authorship disputes, citation manipulation, conflicts of interest, and other forms of research or publication misconduct. Ethical concerns shall be assessed fairly, confidentially, and in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics and research integrity policies. Where misconduct or serious ethical problems are established, the Editorial Board may take appropriate action, including rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the circumstances.
Editorial Decisions
Editorial decisions shall be based on the overall assessment of the manuscript, including the findings and recommendations of peer reviewers, the manuscript’s academic quality, its contribution to legal scholarship, and its compliance with the journal’s editorial and ethical requirements. Depending on the outcome of the evaluation, editors may issue decisions of Accept, Minor Revision, Major Revision, or Reject. Reviewer recommendations provide important evidence for editorial decision-making but do not automatically determine the final outcome. The Editor-in-Chief or designated Handling Editor retains responsibility for ensuring that the final decision is fair, reasoned, and consistent with the journal’s standards.
Post-Publication Responsibilities
Editorial responsibility continues after an article has been published. Where credible concerns arise regarding the accuracy, integrity, or ethical status of a published article, the Editorial Board shall investigate the matter appropriately and, where necessary, publish a correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other editorial notice. Such actions shall be undertaken in accordance with the journal’s policies and recognized standards of publication ethics, with the primary objective of preserving the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record.
Continuous Editorial Development
Editors are expected to maintain and continuously develop their knowledge of contemporary legal scholarship, research integrity, publication ethics, and international editorial practices. The Editorial Board should periodically evaluate and improve editorial policies, peer review procedures, publication workflows, and quality assurance mechanisms. Editors are also encouraged to participate in relevant professional development and editorial training to strengthen the journal’s governance and scholarly standards.
Commitment to Editorial Excellence
The Editorial Board of Justitia Nova: Indonesian Journal of Modern Law is committed to maintaining an independent, transparent, fair, and ethically responsible editorial process. Through rigorous editorial oversight, impartial peer review, and continuous improvement of its publishing practices, the journal seeks to promote high-quality legal scholarship, protect the integrity of the scholarly record, and strengthen confidence in responsible academic publishing.