The JSW Law Publishing Series is the publishing arm of the JSW School of Law, administered by the Research Centre under the Research Centre Policy 2022. It publishes books, journals, working papers, policy-oriented research and other academic materials that contribute to legal education, law reform, professional practice and public understanding of the law.
Few books had been published on many areas of Bhutanese law when JSW Law began writing and publishing textbooks on Bhutanese law and related subjects. The Series has grown steadily since and now includes journals, textbooks, conference proceedings, a national legal needs assessment report, titles on criminal law defences and procedural reform, and a growing list of other works. Under the RALS Strategy, the Series is a flagship project, with the aim of becoming a recognised national legal publishing platform with regular, peer-reviewed and discoverable outputs published to an annual schedule.
What the Series publishes
Advancing Legal Scholarship, Informing Policy, Shaping Practice
The Series publishes a diverse range of scholarly and practice-oriented works on Bhutanese law and related subjects, including textbooks, edited volumes, conference proceedings, academic journals, research reports, policy briefs, practice notes, working papers, and other publications that advance legal scholarship and inform policy and practice.
Textbooks: on Bhutanese law and related subjects.
Edited volumes and conference proceedings: including the proceedings of the GNH and Law Conference.
Scholarly journals: described below.
Research reports, policy briefs and practice notes: short, accessible outputs for policymakers and practitioners.
Working papers and discussion papers: including supervised student and graduate working papers.
Other academic publications: relevant to legal scholarship.
Law Journals
Advancing Legal Research, Policy and Student Scholarship
The Series publishes a diverse range of legal journals that promote scholarly inquiry, connect law with public policy and governance, explore the relationship between Gross National Happiness and law, and nurture emerging legal scholars through peer-reviewed research and student publications.
The Journal of Gross National Happiness and Law (GNH Law): the only journal devoted to the relationship between Gross National Happiness and the law. It publishes scholarship on how legal institutions can contribute to equitable, sustainable and humane development, engaging with international work on law and wellbeing, environmental sustainability, cultural preservation and good governance. First volume published in 2021. Papers from the GNH and Law Conference are considered for the journal.
JSW Journal of Law and Policy: a general law review open to every field of law, publishing research that connects legal doctrine with public policy, governance and institutional development. Its first issue, a special issue on Public Contracts, appeared in November 2022.
JSW Law Review: a student peer-reviewed law journal, written and edited by students under faculty or external guest editors. Three volumes have been published and a fourth is in preparation. It welcomes research articles, case notes, legislative comments and book reviews.
JSW Law Student Journal: publishes outstanding papers from the Student Research Forum after assessment by the Editorial Board.
Working papers
The JSW Law Working Paper Series gives faculty, visiting scholars and supervised students a route to share research in progress, invite comment and establish priority before formal publication. Working papers are reviewed for scope, citation and ethical compliance before release and are deposited in the Institutional Repository.
From submission to publication
Step 1, Submit: send the manuscript with the submission form.
Step 2, Preliminary review: the Student Editorial Board reviews formatting, citation accuracy and compliance with submission guidelines within twenty-one days.
Step 3, Editorial review: the JSW Law Editorial Board reviews originality, ethics and contribution to scholarship and gives detailed feedback within thirty days.
Step 4, Revise: resubmit any revised manuscript within forty-five days. Authors may appeal an editorial decision within fourteen days; appeals are decided within thirty days.
Step 5, Publish: accepted works receive an ISBN or ISSN, and authors review final proofs within thirty days.
Step 6, Deposit and track: three copies go to the JSW Law Library, three to the Centre for Bhutan Studies and GNH, and a copy to the Institutional Repository. Authors receive citation reports twice a year.
For prospective authors
The Series welcomes proposals from JSW Law faculty, visiting scholars and external authors whose work is original, methodologically sound, ethically compliant and relevant to Bhutanese, comparative or international legal discourse.
No author fees: RALS bears the costs of editorial services, design, typesetting, marketing and distribution.
Royalties: 25 to 30 per cent of net sales revenue for digital publications, 5 to 10 per cent for paperbacks and 10 to 15 per cent for hardcovers, paid quarterly with a sales report.
Copyright: authors grant JSW Law a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to publish, reproduce and distribute the work in all formats, and keep their moral rights under the Copyright Act of Bhutan.
JSW Law Student Journal: publishes outstanding papers from the Student Research Forum after assessment by the Editorial Board.
Income from book sales, after royalties and production costs, supports the RALS Grant Fund, and a share is contributed to the JSW Law Trust Fund.