National Journal of Criminal Law

National Journal of Criminal Law The National Journal of Criminal Law [2581-8244(e)] is a peer-reviewed hybrid open-access journal established in 2018 with the primary objective of advancing knowledge in criminal law and order within society. Dedicated to protecting life and liberty, the journal aims to foster critical thinking among students, practitioners, and esteemed professors. It encourages a thorough examination of the objectives of criminal law and facilitates scrutiny of recent developments in the field.

• Substantive Criminal Law: Research on the principles, doctrines, and interpretation of criminal law, including criminal liability, mens rea, actus reus, general exceptions, abetment, attempt, conspiracy, and the classification and punishment of offences.
• Criminal Procedure and Fair Trial: Studies on investigation, arrest, bail, search and seizure, charge, trial, evidence, sentencing, appeals, and procedural safeguards, with particular attention to due process and fair-trial rights in India.
• Criminal Justice System and Administration: Research on the functioning of police, prosecution, courts, prisons, correctional institutions, forensic agencies, and other components of the criminal justice system, including institutional reforms and access to justice.
• Crimes Against Women and Gender-Based Violence: Studies on rape, sexual offences, domestic violence, dowry-related offences, workplace sexual harassment, trafficking, stalking, acid attacks, and other forms of gender-based violence, including legal remedies and enforcement challenges.
• Crimes Against Children and Juvenile Justice: Research on juvenile delinquency, child abuse, sexual offences against children, child trafficking, child protection laws, rehabilitation, restorative justice, and the operation of juvenile justice institutions.
• Criminology and Penology: Studies on theories and patterns of crime, criminal behaviour, victimology, recidivism, punishment, prison administration, rehabilitation, correctional policies, restorative justice, and alternatives to incarceration.
• Cybercrime and Technology-Enabled Crime: Research on cyber fraud, identity theft, online harassment, digital evidence, technology-facilitated offences, artificial intelligence and crime, cryptocurrency-related offences, and legal responses to emerging forms of digital criminality.
• Organized Crime, Terrorism, and Financial Crime: Studies on organized criminal networks, terrorism, money laundering, corruption, illicit trafficking, economic offences, proceeds of crime, and national and international legal frameworks for investigation and prosecution.
• Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation: Research on forensic evidence, medico-legal investigation, digital forensics, DNA evidence, crime-scene investigation, expert testimony, evidentiary reliability, and the use of scientific methods in criminal adjudication.
• Victim Rights and Victimology: Studies on the rights, protection, compensation, participation, and rehabilitation of victims of crime, including victim-impact processes, witness protection, restorative mechanisms, and access to legal remedies.
• Prison Law, Sentencing, and Correctional Justice: Research on sentencing policy, proportionality, probation, parole, remission, prison conditions, prisoners’ rights, rehabilitation, correctional administration, and reforms in custodial institutions.
• Human Rights and Criminal Justice: Examination of custodial violence, torture, arbitrary detention, unlawful surveillance, death penalty, police accountability, fair-trial guarantees, and the relationship between criminal justice institutions and constitutional or human rights protections.
• Economic and Corporate Crime: Research on fraud, bribery, corruption, corporate criminal liability, white-collar crime, market-related offences, financial misconduct, regulatory offences, and enforcement mechanisms affecting businesses and public institutions.
• Comparative and International Criminal Law: Studies on comparative criminal justice systems, transnational crime, extradition, mutual legal assistance, international criminal law, cross-border investigation, and comparative approaches to criminal-law reform.
• Criminal Law Reform and Public Policy: Research on legislative reform, judicial developments, sentencing policy, police reform, prosecutorial policy, decriminalization, criminalization, and evidence-based approaches to improving the criminal justice system.
• Indian Criminal Law and Contemporary Developments: Research on Indian criminal law, including developments under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, judicial decisions, constitutional principles, and emerging challenges in criminal justice administration. The journal also welcomes comparative and interdisciplinary work with a clear connection to criminal law or criminal justice.