The author submits the manuscript through the PLICE OJS platform. The editorial office conducts an administrative and technical screening before the manuscript proceeds to editorial evaluation.

• Completeness of submission files, including manuscript, title page, and required statements.
• Compliance with PLICE template, formatting, and author guidelines.
• Scope alignment with public law, criminal law, crime studies, governance, or socio-legal research.
• Initial similarity and ethical compliance screening.

Note: manuscripts not meeting basic requirements may be returned for correction before review.

The Editor-in-Chief or assigned editor evaluates the manuscript's relevance, originality, legal contribution, research clarity, and suitability for peer review.

• Assessment of topic relevance and contribution to PLICE's focus and scope.
• Review of abstract, research problem, legal reasoning, methodology, and references.
• Desk decision: proceed to review, request preliminary revision, or reject if unsuitable.

Eligible manuscripts are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with relevant expertise. PLICE applies a double-blind peer-review model where author and reviewer identities are concealed.

• Reviewers evaluate originality, legal reasoning, methodology, references, and contribution.
• Recommendations may include accept, minor revision, major revision, or reject.
• Reviewer comments support editorial decision-making and manuscript improvement.

Authors revise the manuscript based on reviewer comments and editorial instructions. A detailed response to reviewers must be submitted together with the revised manuscript.

• Authors should respond to each reviewer comment point by point.
• All changes should be clearly described in the response document.
• Major revisions may be returned to reviewers for further assessment.

The Editor-in-Chief or handling editor makes the final editorial decision based on reviewer recommendations, manuscript quality, revision adequacy, and journal standards.

• If accepted, authors receive an official Letter of Acceptance (LoA).
• Accepted manuscripts proceed to copyediting, layout, and production.
• Publication fee instructions are provided only after acceptance.

The accepted manuscript enters the final production stage before online publication.

• Copyediting: language, citation, grammar, and academic style correction.
• Layout: formatting into final PDF and/or HTML publication format.
• Proofreading: author confirmation of the final galley proof.
• Publication: DOI registration, metadata preparation, and online publication.