Plagiarism Policy

Code of Conduct for Addressing Unethical Behaviour and Misconduct

The publication ethics and misconduct statement of the Modern Journal of Legal Studies (MJLS) is based on the Code of Conduct and Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in 2011.

All parties involved in the publication process-authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers-must agree to abide by the ethical standards and practices set forth by the journal.

Preventing misconduct such as plagiarism, duplication, or unauthorised republication is a core responsibility of the editorial board, which enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy.

Procedures for Addressing Unethical Behaviour

• Any detected misconduct during peer review, before publication, or after publication must be reported immediately to the Editor-in-Chief at: legaljournal@muc.edu.ps
• Reports must include sufficient evidence and detailed information.
• Upon receiving a report, the Editor-in-Chief, with assistance from editorial board members if necessary, initiates an immediate and serious investigation based on clear evidence.
• Investigations may proceed even if misconduct is discovered long after publication.
• If a breach of publication ethics is confirmed, the Editor-in-Chief notifies the author(s), their institution(s), reviewers, and research funders (if applicable) and gives them the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
• Minor violations may be handled internally by the Editor-in-Chief without legal escalation, following approved procedures.
• Serious misconduct is referred to the Head of the Modern Center for Studies and Research for further investigation and legal action under the regulations of Modern University College.
• If unethical behaviour is proven, the paper is retracted from the journal. Retraction preserves the credibility of the journal and the integrity of its content. The responsible author or reviewer will also be placed on a blacklist maintained by the journal.