Author Guidelines

Nusantara Criminal Law Journal: Jurnal Hukum Pidana (NCLJ) is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by PT Adikara Cipta Aksa. The journal serves as a platform for the dissemination of original research articles, conceptual studies, case analyses, and critical reviews in the fields of criminal law, criminal justice, criminology, victimology, penal policy, and contemporary issues in criminal law. The journal welcomes contributions from academics, researchers, legal practitioners, judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, policymakers, and postgraduate students.

To maintain the highest standards of academic integrity, manuscripts submitted to NCLJ must be original works that have not been previously published and are not under consideration for publication elsewhere. All submissions undergo plagiarism screening and a double-blind peer-review process. Manuscripts must be written in English. Authors whose first language is not English are strongly encouraged to have their manuscripts professionally proofread before submission.

The editorial team will only process manuscripts that comply with the journal's formatting and submission requirements. Authors are encouraged to use the official manuscript template provided by the journal.

Article Format

The manuscript should contain 4,000–7,500 words, including footnotes but excluding the bibliography. The manuscript should be arranged in the following order:

  • Title
  • Author(s) Information
  • Abstract
  • Keywords
  • Introduction
  • Method (for research articles)
  • Results and Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments (Optional)
  • References

The manuscript must be prepared using Candara font, 12 pt size, 1.5 line spacing, and justified alignment. The first line of each paragraph should be indented by 1 cm.

Title

The title should be written in Candara, 18 pt, bold, with each major word capitalized. The title should clearly reflect the content of the manuscript and preferably contain no more than 14 words.

Author Name and Affiliation

The manuscript should include:

  • Full name of each author;
  • Institutional affiliation;
  • Country of affiliation;
  • Email address of each author;
  • ORCID ID (recommended).

Author information should appear directly below the title.

Abstract

The abstract must be written in English and should not exceed 200 words.

The abstract should briefly describe:

  • The background of the study;
  • The research objective;
  • The methodology employed;
  • The principal findings;
  • The main conclusion.

The abstract should be written in Candara 10 pt, single-spaced, and justified.

Keywords

Authors must provide 3–5 keywords or phrases that accurately reflect the content of the manuscript. Keywords should be separated by semicolons (;).

Introduction

The introduction should clearly explain the criminal law issue being examined and demonstrate its academic significance.

Background

The background should explain the context and importance of the topic. It should include a review of relevant literature and identify research gaps that justify the study.

Problem Statement

The manuscript should clearly formulate the legal problems or research questions addressed in the study.

Research Objectives

The objectives of the study should be explicitly stated and aligned with the research questions.

Method

This section is mandatory for empirical and socio-legal research and optional for purely normative legal research.

Authors should explain:

  • Research approach;
  • Sources of legal materials or data;
  • Data collection techniques;
  • Analytical methods;
  • Legal interpretation methods (where applicable).

The methodology should be sufficiently detailed to enable readers to understand how the research was conducted.

Results and Discussion

This section constitutes the core of the manuscript and should present the findings and analysis in a systematic manner.

The discussion should:

  • Address the research questions;
  • Present legal arguments supported by relevant theories and doctrines;
  • Analyze criminal statutes, judicial decisions, penal policies, criminal justice practices, or empirical findings;
  • Demonstrate the novelty and contribution of the study;
  • Compare findings with previous studies where relevant.

Sub-headings may be used to improve readability and organization.

Conclusion

The conclusion should directly address the objectives of the study and summarize the principal findings.

Authors should avoid merely repeating the abstract or discussion section. The conclusion should emphasize the contribution of the study and may include recommendations for future research, criminal law reform, criminal justice policy, or legal development.

References

NCLJ adopts the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition (Full Note) for footnotes and bibliography.

Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management software such as:

  • Mendeley;
  • Zotero;
  • EndNote.

References should meet the following requirements:

  • All references cited in footnotes must appear in the bibliography;
  • References must be arranged alphabetically;
  • At least 80% of references should come from scholarly sources such as journal articles, conference proceedings, theses, dissertations, and official legal documents;
  • Preference should be given to references published within the last 10 years, except for seminal works and primary legal sources;
  • Wikipedia, personal blogs, and non-academic sources should not be used as references.

Figures and Tables

Figures and tables should be placed as close as possible to the relevant discussion.

Requirements include:

  • Minimum resolution of 300 DPI;
  • Clear and readable format;
  • Consecutive numbering;
  • Proper titles and source citations;
  • Tables should use an open format without vertical lines.

Main Headings Structure

The manuscript should use the following numbering format:

1. Main Heading

1.1. Sub-heading

1.1.1. Sub-sub-heading

Further subdivisions should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Citation Style

All citations must be provided using footnotes in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition, Full Note).

Submission Policy

By submitting a manuscript to Nusantara Criminal Law Journal: Jurnal Hukum Pidana (NCLJ), authors confirm that:

  • The manuscript is original and unpublished;
  • The manuscript is not under review elsewhere;
  • All authors have approved the submission;
  • Ethical standards of academic publishing have been observed;
  • Any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools has been disclosed in accordance with the Journal's Policy on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI).

Manuscripts that do not comply with these guidelines may be returned to the authors before entering the peer-review process.