Authors Guidelines

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS FOR WRITING AND PREPARING MANUSCRIPTS

The Editorial Board of the journal Law – Theory and Practice requests that authors submit their manuscripts for publication in accordance with the following instructions.

The journal is dedicated to the publication of high-quality scholarly manuscripts in the field of law. Papers approved for publication in the journal Law – Theory and Practice are classified into the basic categories of scientific and professional articles by the Editorial Board, in cooperation with reviewers.

Manuscripts should be submitted in both English and Serbian (in Cyrillic script) via the online OJS platform: http://casopis.pravni-fakultet.edu.rs/index.php/ltp/about/submissions.
Authors whose native language is not Serbian may submit their manuscripts in English only, without the obligation to provide a Serbian-language version.

Accepted papers are published in English. All submitted manuscripts are subject to peer review. Each scientific paper is reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers appointed by the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board reserves the right to adjust manuscripts to conform to the journal’s editorial standards.

Use of Large Language Models (LLM) and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools

In the preparation of manuscripts for publication in "Law – Theory and Practice", AI tools may be used exclusively for the creation of AI-assisted, but not AI-generated content.

AI tools must not be used as a substitute for human critical thinking, scholarly judgment, or professional expertise. Artificial intelligence technologies must always be applied under direct human supervision and control. All intellectual content — including ideas, analyses, interpretations, and conclusions — must be exclusively the work of the authors.

Under no circumstances may an AI tool be listed as an author or co-author, nor may it be cited as the author of a referenced work.

Authors must clearly disclose the use of tools based on large language models and generative AI in the manuscript (indicating which tool was used and for what purpose), preferably in the Methods or Acknowledgments sections.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy, validity, and appropriateness of any content generated by tools based on large language models and generative AI and they must ensure that the cited references are correct and that the submission is free from plagiarism.

Failure to disclose the use of AI tools in a manuscript constitutes a breach of publication ethics and, if confirmed, may result in rejection of the manuscript and the application of measures in accordance with the guidelines of relevant ethical bodies (e.g., COPE).

It is not permitted to use AI tools for: generating substantial portions of the manuscript, particularly ideas, data, results, images, tables, or similar content; modifying scientific arguments or interpretations; altering data or generating references; submitting a manuscript that is not the result of the authors’ own scholarly work.

In all cases, authors bear full responsibility for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work.

General Information for Writing Papers:

Manuscripts must be prepared in Microsoft Word, using the Times New Roman font, size 12 pt, Latin script, with 1.5 line spacing and 25 mm margins on all sides. The length of the manuscript should not exceed 15 A4 pages, including text, tables, figures, references, and any additional materials.

The title page should contain the title of the paper in English, followed by the title in Serbian, both in 14 pt bold font. After a space, the author’s full name, academic title, institutional affiliation (including the country), email address, and contact phone number should be provided in 12 pt font. If the author has an ORCID iD, it should be included immediately after the author’s name. For more information on ORCID, please visit https://orcid.org and include the ORCID ID after registration.

Following a space, authors should provide an abstract of up to 250 words in English, followed by an abstract in Serbian, both in 12 pt font. The abstract should present a concise and informative summary of the article, allowing readers to quickly assess its relevance. Authors should state the research objective or rationale, describe the methods used, and briefly summarize the main results.

Keywords should be listed after one line of spacing below the abstract, first in English and then in Serbian. A maximum of five keywords is permitted. Keywords should be written in 12 pt italic font. Two lines of spacing should follow before the main text of the paper begins.

Manuscripts should be written concisely, in a clear academic style, and follow a logical structure, typically consisting of an introduction, main body, and conclusion. The font size of the main text should be 12 pt. Headings and subheadings should be written in 12 pt bold font.

Titles and numbering of illustrations (diagrams, photographs, graphs, or charts) should be centered above the illustration in 12 pt font. Titles and numbering of tables should also be centered above the table in 12 pt font. The source must be indicated below the illustration or table (e.g., “Source: …”) in 10 pt font. If the data presented originate from the author’s own research, the source should be indicated as Author’s research.

If authors wish to include acknowledgments, they should do so in a separate section entitled Acknowledgments, placed after the Conclusion and before the author’s affiliation and the abstract in Serbian.

After the Conclusion (and, where applicable, the Acknowledgments section), and before the author’s affiliation and the abstract in Serbian, authors must include a Conflict of Interest Statement, as follows

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

After the Conflict of Interest Statement, authors must specify the contributions of each author and co-author if the manuscript has more than one author. This section is not required for single-author manuscripts.

There are 14 contributor roles defined by the Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRediT), available at https://credit.niso.org/.

Authors should assign contributions in accordance with this taxonomy and may list either full names or initials. For example:

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, G.E.D., S.E.G., and T.E.C.; methodology, G.E.D.; software, S.E.G.; formal analysis, G.E.D. and S.E.G.; writing - original draft preparation, G.E.D. and S.E.G.; writing -review and editing, T.E.C. and S.E.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

After the Author Contributions Statement, it is necessary to indicate the source of funding for the research presented in the manuscript. Authors must clearly disclose all sources of financial support for their research, including research grants, institutional support, private or commercial funding, or any other financial contributions. This information should be provided under the subheading “Funding”. If the research reported in the manuscript did not receive any external financial support, authors should state the following:

Funding

This research received no external funding.

After the Funding Statement, authors are required to include a Data Availability Statement:

Data availability statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article and/or supplementary material. Further inquiries may be directed to the corresponding author(s).

* For more information in this regard, please refer to the Journal Policies available on the journal’s website.

The Journal Policies include provisions on respecting anonymization, confidentiality, and informed consent in research contributions. Law – Theory and Practice requires authors to protect participant identity and privacy by removing or masking both direct and indirect identifiers from manuscripts and all supplementary materials. Where there is any doubt that anonymity can be preserved, written consent for publication must be obtained prior to submission.

An Informed Consent for Participation in the Study / Institutional Review Board Statement is required for manuscripts reporting research involving human participants. Such studies must adhere to the principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki.

For research involving minors, consent must be obtained from a legal guardian, and age-appropriate assent from the child should be obtained where feasible. For animal research, authors must state ethics approval and confirm compliance with EU Directive 2010/63/EU, and report the study in accordance with ARRIVE 2.0 guidelines.

If the research reported in the manuscript does not require an Informed Consent for Participation in the Study or an Institutional Review Board Statement, authors should indicate this by stating “Not applicable” under the relevant subheading.

For example:

Informed Consent for Participation in the Study / Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.

* For more information in this regard, please refer to the Journal Policies available on the journal’s website.

For writing references, use the APA (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association) international standard for writing references. Notes or footnotes may contain additional explanations or comments related to the text. Footnotes should be written in Times New Roman font, size 10 pt.

In APA style, the source being cited is mentioned within the text, with the elements (author, year of publication, page number of the quoted section) enclosed in parentheses immediately before the period and separated by commas.

Rules for In-Text Citations

When citing a source written by a single author:

If the author's name appears in the sentence, the year of publication of the cited text is placed in parentheses immediately after the author's name, and the page number is provided at the end of the sentence:

Example:

As Besermenji (2007) highlights, “air pollution is a particularly prevalent issue, primarily due to an exceptionally low level of environmental awareness and a lack of professional education in the field of environmental protection” (p. 496).

If the author's name does not appear in the sentence, the author's last name, year of publication, and page number are placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence:

Example:

Also, “rural tourism is expected to act as one of the tools for sustainable rural development” (Ivolga, 2014, p. 331).

Note: If the citation is a paraphrase or summary, the page number is not necessary.

Example:

The environment encompasses everything that surrounds us, or everything that is directly or indirectly connected to human life and production activities (Hamidović, 2012).

When citing a source written by two authors:

Use “and” or “&” between the authors' last names, depending on whether the authors are mentioned in the sentence.

Examples:

Chaudhry and Gupta (2010) state that as many as 75% of the world’s poor live in the rural areas, and more than one-third of rural areas are in arid and semiarid regions.

Hence, “rural development is considered as a complex mesh of networks in which resources are mobilized and in which the control of the process consists of interplay between local and external forces” (Papić & Bogdanov, 2015, p. 1080).

When citing a source written by 3-5 authors:

For the first-time citation, list all authors:

Example:

(Cvijanović, Matijašević Obradović, & Škorić, 2017)

For subsequent citations, list only the first author followed by “et al.”:

Example:

(Cvijanović et al., 2017)

When citing a source written by 6 or more authors:

For both the first and subsequent citations, list only the first author followed by “et al.”:

Example:

(Savić et al., 2010)

When citing a text authored by an organization:

If the author of a paper is an organization, include the organization's name in parentheses as the author. If the organization has a known abbreviation, provide the abbreviation in square brackets after the full name in the first citation, and use only the abbreviation in all subsequent citations.

Example:

First citation: (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts [SASA], 2014)

Subsequent citations: (SASA, 2014)

When citing texts by authors with the same surname:

Use the authors' initials to avoid confusion.

Example:

The viewpoint expressed by D. Savić (2017) has been presented...

When citing multiple references by the same author from the same year:

If there are two or more references from the same author in the same year, add letter designations “a”, “b”, etc., after the year.

Example:

(Dragojlović, 2018a)

(Dragojlović, 2018b)

When citing two or more texts in one citation:

List the authors' last names in the order of publication and separate them with a semicolon.

Example:

Obviously, living and working in rural areas has always been connected with specific material and symbolic relations to nature (Milbourne, 2003; Castree & Braun, 2006).

When citing a newspaper article with a specified author:

Example:

It was reported in NS uživo (Dragojlović, 2021) that...

In the reference list, format this reference as follows:

Dragojlović, J. (2021). Anketirani Novosađani za vraćanje smrtne kazne u Ustav [Novi Sad residents surveyed to return the death penalty to the Constitution]. NS uživo, January 22.

When citing a newspaper article without a specified author:

Example:

As published in Politika (2012)

In the reference list, format this reference as follows:

Politika. (2012). Straževica gotova za dva meseca [Straževica finished in two months]. February 1.

When citing personal correspondence:

Example:

According to Nikolić (2020),

In the reference list, format this reference as follows:

Nikolić, A. (2020). Pismo autoru [Letter to the author], November 21.

When citing a text in press:

At the end of the reference, before the period, add “in press.”

When citing court decisions, the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, and other sources from domestic and international judicial practice:

The reference should contain as complete information as possible: type and number of the decision, date when the decision was brought, publication in which it was published.

Example in text:

(Decision of the High Court in Belgrade – Special Department K.Po1 no. 276/10 dated January 26, 2012)

Example in text: (Borodin v Russia, par. 166.)

Note:

Sources from judicial practice should not be listed in the reference list. The full reference should be provided in a footnote. When citing the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, the application number should also be included.

Example for reference in a footnote:

As stated in the Decision of the High Court in Belgrade – Special Department K.Po1 no. 276/10 from January 26, 2012. Intermex (2012). Bilten Višeg suda u Beogradu [Bulletin of the High Court in Belgrade], 87, p. 47.

Borodin v Russia, application no. 41867/04, ECHR judgment, February 6, 2013, par. 166.

When citing laws and other regulations:

When citing a legal text or other regulation, mention the full name of the law or regulation and the year it came into force.

Example:

(Criminal Procedure Code, 2011)

(Regulation on the Content of the Decision on the Implementation of Public Procurement Procedure by Multiple Clients, 2015)

This rule also applies to laws or other regulations that are no longer in force.

Example:

(Criminal Code of the Republic of Serbia, 1977)

When citing international regulations, it is sufficient to mention the abbreviated name of the document along with its number and the year it was adopted.

Example:

(Regulation No. 1052/2013) or (Directive 2013/32)

When citing a text with an unknown publication date or author:

For works with an unknown date, use "n.d." (non-dated) in place of the year.

Example:

Their significance for parliamentary processes is immeasurable (Ostrogorski, n.d.).

If the paper uses a reference to a paper by an unknown author, cite the title of the paper and include the year if known.

Example:

All that has been confirmed by a mixed, objective-subjective theory (Elements of a criminal offense, 1986, p. 13).

Important Note:

Cited sources (regardless of the language in which they are written) should not be translated into English, except for the titles of papers (publications, legal acts) which should be translated and written in square brackets.

Example:

1. Matijašević Obradović, J. (2017). Značaj zaštite životne sredine za razvoj ekoturizma u Srbiji [The importance of environmental protection for the development of ecotourism in Serbia]. Agroekonomika, 46(75), pp. 21–30

2. Jovašević, D. (2017). Krivična dela ubistva [Murder as a Crime]. Beograd: Institut za kriminološka i sociološka istraživanja

3. Uredba o ekološkoj mreži Vlade Republike Srbije [The Ecological Network Decree of the Government of the Republic of Serbia]. Službeni glasnik RS, br. 102/10

4. Zakon o turizmu [The Law on Tourism]. Službeni glasnik RS, br. 17/19

References Section:

At the end of each manuscript, include a “References” section listing all the cited sources in alphabetical order. Titles in foreign languages that begin with definite or indefinite articles (“a”, “the”, “Die”, etc.) should be listed as if the article does not exist. The list of references should include only works that are published or accepted for publication.

The editorial board emphasizes the usage of recent references whenever possible, which will be a key criterion when selecting manuscripts for publication. Each reference must include a DOI number if available. If the cited reference does not have a DOI number, the author may include a URL.

Example of referencing with a DOI number:

Počuča, M., & Matijašević Obradović, J. (2018). The Importance of Evidence Collection in Procedures for Criminal Acts in the Field of Economic Crime in Serbia. In: Meško, G., et al. (eds.), Criminal Justice and Security in Central and Eastern Europe: From Common Sense to Evidence-based Policy-making (pp. 671–681). Maribor: Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security and University of Maribor Press. DOI: 10.18690/978-961-286174-2

Example of referencing with a URL:

Milosavljević, B. (2015). Pravni okvir i praksa primene posebnih postupaka i mera za tajno prikupljanje podataka u Republici Srbiji [Legal framework and practice of application of special procedures and measures for secret data collection in the Republic of Serbia]. In: Petrović, P. (Ed.), Posebne mere tajnog prikupljanja podataka: između zakona i sudske prakse [Special measures for secret data collection: between law and case law] (pp. 5–33). Beograd: Beogradski centar za bezbednosnu politiku. Downloaded 2021, January 15, from https://bezbednost.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/posebne_mere_tajnog_prikupljanja_podataka__vodic_.pdf

Examples of references to be listed at the end of the manuscript:

References:

1. Agencija za privredne registre. Privredna društva [Companies]. Downloaded 2020, January 10 from https://www.apr.gov.rs/o-agenciji.1902.html

2. California Secretary of State. Downloaded 2020, December 15 from https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/

3. Dukić-Mijatović, M. (2011). Korporativno upravljanje i kompanijsko pravo Republike Srbije [Corporate Governance and Companies Business Law of the Republic of Serbia]. Pravo – teorija i praksa, 28(1-3), pp. 15–22

4. Dragojlović, J., & Bingulac, N. (2019). Penologija između teorije i prakse [Penology between theory and practice]. Novi Sad: Pravni fakultet za privredu i pravosuđe u Novom Sadu

5. Dragojlović, J. (2021). Anketirani Novosađani za vraćanje smrtne kazne u Ustav [Novi Sad residents surveyed to return the death penalty to the Constitution]. NS uživo, January 22

6. Gopalsamy, N. (2016). A Guide to Corporate Governance. New Delhi: New Age International

7. Jesover, F., & Kirkpatrick, G. (2005). The Revised OECD Principles of Corporate Governance and their Relevance to Non-OECD Countries. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 13(2), pp. 127–136. DOI: 10.1111/j.14678683.2005.00412.x

8. Milosavljević, B. (2015). Pravni okvir i praksa primene posebnih postupaka i mera za tajno prikupljanje podataka u Republici Srbiji [Legal framework and practice of application of special procedures and measures for secret data collection in the Republic of Serbia]. In: Petrović, P. (ured.), Posebne mere tajnog prikupljanja podataka: između zakona i sudske prakse [Special measures for secret data collection: between law and case law] (pp. 5–33). Beograd: Beogradski centar za bezbednosnu politiku. Downloaded 2021, January 15 from https://bezbednost.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/06/posebne_mere_tajnog_prikupljanja_podataka_-_vodic_.pdf

9. Počuča M., & Matijašević Obradović, J. (2018). The Importance of Evidence Collection in Procedures for Criminal Acts in the Field of Economic Crime in Serbia. In: Meško, G., et al. (eds.), Criminal Justice and Security in Central and Eastern Europe: From Common Sense to Evidence-based Policy-making (pp. 671–681). Maribor: Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security and University of Maribor Press. DOI: 10.18690/978-961-286-174-2

10. Regulation (EU) No. 1052/2013 establishing the European Border Surveillance System (Eurosur), OJ L 295 of 6/11/2013

11. Škorić, S. (2016). Uticaj poslovnog imena privrednog društva na njegovo poslovanje – doktorska disertacija [The influence of the business name of the company on its business – doctoral thesis]. Novi Sad: Pravni fakultet za privredu i pravosuđe u Novom Sadu.

12. Škulić, M. (2007). Krivično procesno pravo [Criminal Procedural Law]. Beograd: Pravni fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu; JP Službeni glasnik

13. Uredba o ekološkoj mreži Vlade Republike Srbije [The Ecological Network Decree of the Government of the Republic of Serbia]. Službeni glasnik RS, br. 102/10

14. Veljković, N. (2017). Indikatori održivog razvoja: Srbija i svet [Sustainable development indicators: Serbia and the world]. Downloaded 2017, October 22 from http://indicator.sepa.gov.rs/o-indikatori

15. Zakonik o krivičnom postupku [Criminal Procedure Code]. Službeni glasnik RS, br. 72/11, 101/11, 121/12, 32/2013, 45/13, 55/14 i 35/19

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Authors Guidelines [ENG] [PDF]

DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY OF THE MANUSCRIPT [ENG] [DOC]

Uputstva za autore [SRB] [PDF]

IZJAVA O ORIGINALNOSTI RUKOPISA [SRB] [DOC]