Call for Papers: RGNUL Financial and Mercantile Law Review (RFMLR), Volume XIV Issue I [RGNUL Punjab]

The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab (RGNUL) is an autonomous National Law University established by the RGNUL Act (No. 12 of 2006) passed by the Legislature of the State of Punjab under the second wave of reforms instituted by the Bar Council of India. Established in 2006, RGNUL was in May 2015 the first National Law University to be accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with an 'A' grade, and it has been ranked among the top law schools in India in the NIRF rankings of the Union Ministry of Education.

The RGNUL Financial and Mercantile Law Review (RFMLR) is a bi-annual, student-run, double-blind peer-reviewed law journal published by RGNUL, Punjab. First published in 2014, it carries doctrinal and empirical research in business and commercial law from legal academia, practitioners and law students. The Journal is indexed on SCC Online, HeinOnline, J-Gate and Manupatra, and has consistently been ranked among the top 10 most accessed law school journals by SCC Online. Its online ISSN is 2347-3827.

For Volume XIV Issue I the Editorial Board aspires to publish an evaluation of contemporary developments across the whole field of commercial law. Manuscripts are invited in the following domains:

• Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions; Competition Law; Insolvency
• Banking and Finance; Insurance; Capital Markets; Securities
• Dispute Resolution; International Trade; Investment Funds
• Labour and Employment; Taxation; Intellectual Property; Real Estate
• Technology, Media and Telecommunication; White-Collar Crimes

Submissions that encourage an insightful discourse around any contemporary development in the field of financial and mercantile laws are also welcome.

The Editorial Board invites submissions from legal practitioners, professionals, academics and law students. Co-authorship is limited to a maximum of two authors, and each author may submit at most one manuscript.

RFMLR accepts submissions in the following categories, with word limits exclusive of footnotes:

• Article: 6,000 to 12,000 words
• Short Note: 4,000 to 6,000 words
• Case Comment: 3,000 to 5,000 words
• Book Review: 1,500 to 3,000 words

• Submissions shall be in the English language only.
• Submissions shall be lucid, contemporarily relevant and well-researched, and shall contain a novel analysis of the issue by the author(s). The Editorial Board encourages analytical submissions with concrete suggestions over descriptive submissions with generic suggestions.
• Any form of plagiarism is strictly prohibited; the submission shall be original, unpublished and the outcome of the author's own efforts.
• The name(s) of the author(s) or their institution must not appear anywhere in the body of the submission.
• An abstract not exceeding 250 words must be included within the manuscript.
• Authors shall not submit the manuscript elsewhere during the pendency of the review process. Where the theme is contemporaneous and delayed publication would render the research irrelevant, an expedited review may be requested.
• Authors shall avoid the first person, and are encouraged to refer to parties by name rather than as 'petitioners', 'appellants' or 'respondents'.
• The author(s) bear sole responsibility for the accuracy of facts, opinions and views stated in the manuscript.

Body: Times New Roman, font size 12, line spacing 1.5, justified alignment.

Footnotes: Times New Roman, font size 10, single line spacing, justified alignment. Citations shall follow OSCOLA 4th Edition. The use of speaking footnotes is strictly prohibited.

Manuscripts must be submitted through the official Google Form only; submissions made through any other mode will not be entertained. The manuscript is to be uploaded in .doc or .docx format, together with a duly signed Certificate of Originality and Copyright in the prescribed format linked below.

Upon submission the author(s) will receive an acknowledgement of receipt along with a code for the manuscript, which should be quoted in any future communication. The last date to submit is 15 September 2026, as stated in the official Call for Papers brochure for Volume XIV Issue I.

There is no submission fee, processing charge or publication fee mentioned anywhere in the call.

RFMLR is a double-blind peer-reviewed journal. The Editorial Board conveys a preliminary decision within four weeks of the date of submission, and authors are requested not to enquire about the status of a manuscript before that period expires. Because the peer reviewers are working professionals, the full review process can take time. Preliminary acceptance does not confirm publication; the final decision is subject to the changes required in the manuscript and to the peer review.

Once a manuscript is selected for publication, the author(s) divest the copyright in it to the RGNUL Financial and Mercantile Law Review, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab, while all moral rights remain with the author(s).

An author wishing to withdraw a piece from consideration must email submissions_rfmlr@rgnul.ac.in with the subject line 'Withdrawal of Manuscript: [Manuscript Code]'. The final decision rests at the sole discretion of the Editorial Board.