The Centre for Environmental Law, Advocacy & Research (CELAR), National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam (NLUJAA), invites submissions for Issue 49 onwards of Lex Terra (ISSN: 2455-0965), its quarterly online publication dedicated to environmental law and policy research. The last date for submissions to be considered for Issue 49 is 14 November 2026.
Lex Terra welcomes contributions from academicians, practitioners, students and researchers from legal and non-legal backgrounds. Issue 49 is tentatively scheduled for publication in January 2027. The publication follows a double-blind peer-review process and does not charge any publication or subscription fees.
About CELAR and Lex Terra
The Centre for Environmental Law, Advocacy & Research (CELAR) is a centre of the National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam. Its quarterly webzine, Lex Terra, provides a platform for scholarly discussions on various aspects of environmental law and policy.
Since its inception, Lex Terra has published 48 issues covering various debatable facets of environmental law and related subjects. Its contributors include academicians, legal practitioners and students. The publication has also featured a special edition on Protected Area Governance and Conservation Frameworks at Manas National Park.
Through Lex Terra, CELAR seeks to encourage meaningful research and foster a community of environmentally conscious individuals from both legal and non-legal fraternities.
About the Call for Submissions
CELAR invites original scholarly manuscripts for Lex Terra Issue 49 onwards. Submissions must relate to environmental law and policy research. Manuscripts unrelated to environmental law will be summarily rejected.
Contributions may examine environmental issues across different jurisdictions. However, submissions exploring customary environmental standards and practices in North-East India are particularly encouraged.
Themes and Sub-Themes
Submissions may address the following themes, including but not limited to:
- Natural Resource Management Law
- Waste Management
- Biodiversity Management
- Energy Law
- Forest Laws
- Animal Rights
- Agricultural Laws
- Climate Change Law and Policy
- Global Commons
- Sustainable Development
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Ecological Restoration
- Pollution Control
- Carbon Markets
- Coastal Regulation
- Environmental Ethics
- Ecofeminism
- Environment, Business and Human Rights
- Ecosystem Services
- Environmental Economics
Submission Categories and Word Limit
The following categories of manuscripts are invited. The prescribed word limits exclude footnotes.
- Short Articles: 2,000 words
- Enviro-Legislative Analysis: 1,000 words
- Enviro-Legal News & Perspectives: 1,000 words
- Enviro-Judgement Analysis: 1,000–1,500 words
Submission Guidelines
- Manuscripts must be submitted in .doc or .docx format only.
- All citations must follow the Bluebook, 20th Edition.
- The manuscript must not contain the author’s name, institutional affiliation or other identifying information to facilitate the double-blind peer-review process.
- Co-authorship is permitted up to two authors, including authors from different institutions.
- Manuscripts must not be simultaneously under consideration by other academic publications.
- All submissions will undergo plagiarism and AI detection screening.
- The permissible plagiarism limit is 15% or less for undergraduate students and 10% or less for postgraduate students, professors and legal professionals.
- Speaking footnotes are strictly prohibited.
Formatting Guidelines
- Main Title: Times New Roman, 14 pt, small capitals, bold and centre-aligned.
- Headings: Times New Roman, 12 pt, uppercase, bold and left-aligned.
- Subheadings: Times New Roman, 12 pt, title case, italicised and left-aligned.
- Main Text: Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing and justified alignment.
- Footnotes: Times New Roman, 10 pt, single line spacing and justified alignment.
- All text, including hyperlinks appearing in footnotes, must be black. Active hyperlinks to online citations must be removed, retaining only the link text.
- Authors should use only two levels of headings and subheadings, numbered in the prescribed format.
- Abbreviations should be introduced at their first occurrence without using expressions such as “hereinafter” in parentheses or periods in abbreviated forms.
- Quotation marks should be used only for verbatim material.
Review Process and Publication Timeline
All manuscripts will undergo a double-blind peer-review process. Submissions will be evaluated on the basis of language, style and structure, referencing and research, and their relevance and contribution to existing literature.
The review process for Issue 49 will commence after the submission deadline. Authors can expect the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection in the first week of January 2027.
The preliminary screening process, including plagiarism checks, may take up to 21 days. Contributors are requested to send follow-up emails only after this period. Requests for expedited review will not be entertained.
If an adequate number of submissions is received for Issue 49, subsequent submissions will be considered for forthcoming issues in 2027. Authors whose manuscripts are considered for publication must cooperate with the Editorial Board and undertake any necessary revisions.
Publication Fees and Open Access
Lex Terra does not charge any publication fees at any stage of the review process. The webzine follows an open-access publication model, and no subscription fees are charged to readers.
Accepted manuscripts will be published online and made freely accessible through the official website of NLUJAA.
Editorial Policy
The Editorial Board reserves the right to modify the submission guidelines without prior notice, and its decision in any dispute shall be final and binding.
Upon final acceptance for publication, copyright in the manuscript shall vest in the Registrar, NLUJAA, while moral rights shall remain with the author(s).
Important Dates
- Submission Deadline: 14 November 2026
- Expected Editorial Decision: First week of January 2027
- Tentative Publication: January 2027
How to Submit?
Interested contributors must submit their manuscripts and author details exclusively through the prescribed Google Form.
Submission Link: [Click Here to Submit]
Note: Manuscripts submitted via email will not be considered.
Downloads
Author Guidelines: [Click here to view]
Contact
For queries regarding submissions, contributors may contact CELAR at [email protected].