About the Journal

The Journal of Emerging Legal Studies (JELS) is an international peer-reviewed (double-blind) academic journal established in 2026 to advance scholarship in Emerging Legal Studies. JELS examines how law, regulation and legal institutions evolve in response to technological, societal, sustainability and governance change, with particular emphasis on legal innovation, regulatory change, transnational governance and institutional adaptation.

Managed by the Faculty of Law and published by UiTM Press, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia, JELS provides an international forum for original research that advances legal knowledge and offers theoretical, comparative, empirical and interdisciplinary insights relevant across jurisdictions.

The inaugural issue of JELS is scheduled for publication in October 2026.

JELS publishes research across five interconnected areas that reflect its focus on;

1. Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Law

2. Digital Transformation and Transnational Regulation

3. Adaptive Governance and Regulatory Innovation

4. Sustainability Transitions and Emerging Legal Obligations

5. Justice Systems and Institutional Transformation