ICLQ

Learn more about the ICLQ

The International & Comparative Law Quarterly (ICLQ) is the journal of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law and publishes papers on public and private international law, comparative law, human rights and European law, and is one of the world's leading journals covering all these areas. Since it was founded in 1952 the ICLQ has built a reputation for publishing innovative and original articles within the various fields, and also spanning them, exploring the connections between the subject areas. It offers both academics and practitioners wide topical coverage, without compromising rigorous editorial standards.

Under the general editorship of Professor Alex Mills and BIICL Director Professor Spyros Maniatis, the journal attracts scholarship of the highest standard from around the world, which contributes to the maintenance of its truly international frame of reference. The 'Short Articles' section enables the discussion of contemporary legal issues and 'Book Reviews' highlight the most important new publications in these various fields. The ICLQ is published by Cambridge University Press.

Articles may be submitted via ScholarOne and the Editors continue to welcome contributions which are selected on the basis of excellence, reflecting the independence of the ICLQ and BIICL as a whole. Instructions for contributors may be found here.

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Editorial Board

Co-General Editors
Professor Alex Mills, University College London
Professor Spyros Maniatis, British Institute of International and Comparative Law

Managing Editor: Anna Riddell-Roberts, British Institute of International and Comparative Law

Editorial Board

Professor Richard Barnes, University of Lincoln
Professor Paula Giliker, University of Bristol
Dr Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne, University of Bristol
Professor Angus Johnston, University of Oxford
Professor Urfan Khaliq, Cardiff University
Professor Andrew Lang, University of Edinburgh
Professor Chin Leng Lim, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Professor Dominic McGoldrick, University of Nottingham
Professor Louise Merrett, University of Cambridge
Professor Lavanya Rajamani, University of Oxford
Professor Philippa Webb, King's College London
Professor Katja Ziegler, University of Leicester

ICLQ Annual Lecture

Each year in Spring the ICLQ recognises an outstanding scholarly contribution from the previous year by inviting the author to deliver it as a Lecture at BIICL in London.

This event, inaugurated in 2011 to commemorate the Journal's 60th anniversary, attracts a diverse audience from various disciplines, offering readers an opportunity to engage with the Editorial Board and gain insights into the Journal's operations. This event is generously supported by Cambridge University Press.

It also serves as the occasion for presenting the ICLQ Early Career Prize to the recipient from the previous year, who is invited to elaborate on their article and research agenda in conversation with the General Editor.

The lecture series covers a broad spectrum of topics encompassing public and private international law, European law, human rights law, and comparative law, ensuring comprehensive coverage of our areas of interest.

Past Lectures

2024 - Professor Russell Buchan, Non-Forcible Measures and the Law of Self-Defence

2023 - Professor Clair Gammage, Sovereignty Fictions in the United Kingdom's Trade Agenda

2022 - Dr Mark Eccleston-Turner and Dr Michelle Rourke, Arguments Against the Inequitable Distribution of Vaccines Using the Access and Benefit Sharing Transaction

2021 -Professor Simon Chesterman, Artificial Intelligence and the Limits of Legal Personality

2020 -Professor Philippa Webb and Dr Rosana Garciandia, Modern Slavery: Uncovering and Bridging the Gap

2019 - Panos Koutrakos, Judicial Review in the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy

2018 - John Eekelaar and Fareda Banda, International Conception of the Family

2017 - Christof Heyns, Dapo Akande, Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne and Thompson Chengeta, The Right to Life and the International Law Framework Regulating the Use of Armed Drones

2016 - Sandra Fredman, Foreign Fads Or Fashions? The Role Of Comparativism In Human Rights Law

2015 - Jonathan Hill, Determining the Seat of an International Arbitration: Party Autonomy and the Interpretation of Arbitration Agreements

2014 - Mindy Chen-Wishart, Legal Transplant and Undue Influence: Lost in Translation or a Working Misunderstanding?

2013 - Myriam Hunter-Henin, Why the French Don't Like the Burqa: LaÏcité, National Identity and Religious Freedom

2012 - Trevor Hartley, Assignment of Contractual Claims under the Rome I Regulation: Choice

2011 - Christine Bell and Catherine O'Rourke, Peace negotiations and Gender Justice: Women and UNSC 1325

ICLQ Early Career Prize

The ICLQ Early Career Prize is conferred annually upon the author of the most outstanding article by an Early Career Scholar, with the generous support of Cambridge University Press, the publisher of the ICLQ. The recipient is awarded £250 worth of books published by Cambridge University Press.

The winning author is also invited to discuss their paper and their research more broadly with the Editor in Chief on the occasion of the Annual Lecture.

An early career scholar is someone who (at the time of submission) is either a PhD candidate, or within 5 years of the award of their last academic degree/vocational legal qualification (up to 7 years in the event of a career break). Jointly-authored articles may be considered for the Prize where all authors meet the above criteria.

Previous Recipients

2023 - Lewis Graham, 'Liberty and its Exceptions'

2022 - Frances Anggadi, 'What States say and do about Legal Stability and Maritime Zones, and why it matters'

2021 - Rebecca Barber, 'An Exploration of the General Assembly's Troubled Relationship with Unilateral Sanctions'

2020 - Javier García Olmedo 'Recalibrating the International Investment Regime Through Narrowed Jurisdiction'

2019 - Benoit Mayer 'Climate Assessment as an Emerging Obligation Under Customary International Law'

2018 - Barrie Sander 'History on Trial: Historical Narrative Pluralism Within and Beyond International Criminal Courts'

2017 - Pok Yin Stephenson Chow 'Reservations as Unilateral Acts? Examining the International Law Commission's Approach to Reservations'

2016 - Daniel Costelloe 'Treaty Succession in Annexed Territory'

2015 - Matthew Nicholson 'The Political Unconscious the English Foreign Act of State and Non-Justiciability Doctrine(s)'

2014 - Bharat Malkani 'The Obligation to Refrain from Assisting the Use of the Death Penalty'

2013 - Fernando Lusa Bordin 'Reflections of Customary International Law: The Authority of Codification Conventions and ILC Draft Articles in International Law'

2012 - Ugljesa Grusic 'Jurisdiction in Employment Matters under Brussels I: A Reassessment'

2011 - Nicholas Diebold 'Standards of Non-Discrimination in International Economic Law'

2010 - TT Arvind 'The 'Transplant Effect' in Harmonization'

2009 - Joshua Karton 'Contract Law in International Commercial Arbitration: the Case of Suspension of Performance'

Publishing Workshop

This annual workshop is aimed at those starting out in an academic career and wanting to make the most out of the publishing opportunities available to them.

With expertise from several noted academics with many prestigious publications under their belts and roles on the Boards of various law journals, and from one of the world's leading academic publishers Cambridge University Press, each year this workshop helps young authors to tailor their manuscript for submission to both journals and book publishers; learn how to conduct peer review, and keep up to date with what they need to know about publishing in an Open Research environment.

Running since 2018, this concise afternoon of presentations followed by a Q&A session is designed to allow young scholars to tap into the knowledge of our speakers and troubleshoot their own work. It is run in collaboration with Cambridge University Press who publish the Journal.

Impact Factor 2022 - 2.2

The International and Comparative Law Quarterly was able to announce recently an excellent performance in the 2022 Impact Factors as part of Clarivate's prestigious Journal Citation Reports. These reports help evaluate a journal's relative influence and importance within its field and provide valuable insights into the impact of its research output.

The ICLQ's 2-year Impact Factor has maintained its previous highest score of 2.0. This achievement demonstrates our unwavering commitment to publishing high-quality research and providing a platform for groundbreaking ideas in the field. Our 5-year Impact Factor has grown considerably, climbing from 2.023 to an impressive 2.2. This increase reflects the sustained impact of the ICLQ over an extended period, cementing our reputation as a leading publisher in the fields of public international law, private international law, comparative law, European law and human rights law.

The ICLQ has also improved its ranking in the field of law generally. Moving up from 43 out of 154 to 39 out of 152, this progress highlights our growing influence in the legal community. Within this list we remain the top-ranked journal for European and comparative law, and are ranked second in international law.

These outstanding results in the 2022 Impact Factors reinforce the ICLQ's dedication to promoting excellence in research and fostering the dissemination of knowledge. As we celebrate these achievements, we remain committed to supporting the scholarly community and providing a platform for cutting-edge research.