Conflict of Interest Policy

Conflict of Interest and Competing Interests Policy

The Pakistan Journal of Law and Policy is committed to ensuring that editorial decisions, peer-review processes, and published research are conducted objectively, transparently, and independently. Authors, editors, reviewers, and other individuals involved in the publication process must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest that could influence, or reasonably be perceived to influence, the research, peer review, editorial decision, or interpretation of published work.

Authors' Responsibilities

All authors are required to disclose any financial, professional, personal, institutional, or other interests that may constitute a conflict of interest or competing interest in relation to the submitted manuscript.

Such interests may include, but are not limited to:

• Financial relationships or funding that may influence the research or its interpretation;

• Employment, consultancy, or other professional relationships;

• Personal or professional relationships with individuals or organizations involved in the research or publication process;

• Institutional or organizational affiliations that may benefit from the publication;

• Intellectual, academic, political, or commercial interests that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the manuscript; and

• Any other circumstance that may affect the objectivity or independence of the research or its publication.

Authors must provide a Conflict of Interest or Competing Interests statement at the time of manuscript submission. Where no competing interests exist, authors should explicitly state:

“The authors declare that they have no known competing financial or non-financial interests that could have influenced the research, authorship, or publication of this article.”

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their disclosures are complete and accurate. Any relevant conflict that becomes known after submission or publication must be reported to the journal without undue delay.

Where research has been funded by a government department, public authority, private organization, political institution, commercial entity, or other funding body, authors should disclose the relevant funding arrangements and, where applicable, the role of the funder in the research, analysis, preparation, and publication of the manuscript.

Editorial and Peer-Review Responsibilities

Editors and reviewers must disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest relating to a manuscript under consideration. An editor or reviewer should not participate in the evaluation or editorial decision-making process where a conflict could reasonably affect, or be perceived to affect, their impartiality.

Potential conflicts may arise from, among other circumstances:

• Current or recent collaboration with an author;

• Personal, professional, or institutional relationships with an author;

• Direct academic or professional competition;

• Financial interests connected with the research;

• Institutional, political, or organizational interests that could be materially affected by publication; or

• Any other relationship or circumstance that could compromise independent assessment.

Where a significant conflict of interest is identified, the journal may assign the manuscript to an alternative editor or reviewer to protect the independence and fairness of the editorial process.

Editors and reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not use unpublished information obtained through the editorial or peer-review process for personal, professional, commercial, or academic advantage.

The existence of a disclosed conflict does not automatically prevent publication. The journal will assess the nature and significance of the conflict and take appropriate measures to ensure that the editorial and peer-review processes remain independent, impartial, and transparent.

Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest

If a relevant conflict of interest is identified after submission or publication, the Pakistan Journal of Law and Policy will assess the circumstances and determine the appropriate response.

Depending on the nature and significance of the undisclosed conflict, the journal may request additional information or clarification from the authors, editors, reviewers, or relevant institutions. Where necessary, the journal may publish a correction, clarification, or editorial notice, issue an Expression of Concern, or retract the article where the conflict has materially compromised the integrity or reliability of the published work.

Any action will be proportionate to the circumstances and consistent with the journal's applicable publication-ethics and misconduct policies.

Responsibilities of the Editorial Team

The editorial team is responsible for managing disclosed conflicts appropriately and protecting the integrity of editorial decisions. Editorial decisions must be based on the manuscript's scholarly merit, originality, relevance, accuracy, and compliance with the journal's publication requirements, rather than on personal relationships, financial interests, institutional affiliations, or other inappropriate considerations.

The journal may seek independent editorial or expert assistance where necessary to ensure that a manuscript is evaluated fairly and without undue influence.

Commitment to Transparency

The Pakistan Journal of Law and Policy is committed to transparency in the disclosure and management of competing interests. The journal will take reasonable steps to ensure that conflicts of interest do not compromise the integrity, independence, fairness, or credibility of its publication process.

This policy may be reviewed and updated periodically in response to developments in scholarly publishing, research integrity, and recognized international publication-ethics standards.

By submitting a manuscript to the Pakistan Journal of Law and Policy, authors acknowledge their responsibility to comply with this policy and to disclose relevant competing interests fully and accurately.