Procedure for Handling Complaints Regarding Violations of Academic Integrity and Publication Ethics

The scientific journal LEGAL HORIZONS adheres to high standards of academic integrity and publication ethics, ensuring a transparent, objective, and timely consideration of all complaints regarding potential violations.

1. Complaints may include, but are not limited to:

• plagiarism and self-plagiarism;
• fabrication or falsification of research results;
• inappropriate authorship (guest, coercive, or ghost authorship);
• conflicts of interest;
• violations of the peer review process;
• other breaches of publication ethics.

2. The Editorial Board is guided by the principles set out in the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics and by international standards of academic integrity.

2.1. Complaints must be submitted in written form to the official email address of the Editorial Office.

2.2. A complaint must include:

• a clear description of the alleged violation;
• a reference to the relevant publication or manuscript;
• where possible, evidence or well-founded suspicions of misconduct.

2.3. Anonymous complaints may be considered provided there are sufficient grounds for verification.

3. The Editorial Office conducts an initial assessment of the complaint within 5–10 working days.

3.1. If the complaint falls within the scope of consideration, a formal investigation procedure is initiated.

3.2. If necessary, the Editorial Office may contact the complainant for clarification.

4. The complaint is reviewed by the Editorial Board or a specially established Ethics Committee.

4.1. Independent experts may be involved in the process.

4.2. The author(s) of the relevant work are informed about the substance of the complaint and have the right to provide explanations.

4.3. The review is conducted in accordance with the principles of:

• confidentiality;
• impartiality;
• objectivity;
• presumption of integrity until a violation is established.

5. Based on the results of the review, the following decisions may be made:

• rejection of the complaint as unfounded;
• requirement for authors to make corrections (corrigendum);
• retraction of the article;
• notification of the author’s affiliated institution regarding the identified violations;
• refusal of further cooperation with the author(s).

The decision is formalized in a protocol and communicated to all interested parties.

6. The parties have the right to submit an appeal within 10 working days from the date of receiving the decision.

6.1. The appeal is considered independently, with the involvement of additional experts if necessary.

6.2. The decision following the appeal is final.

The overall period for handling a complaint generally does not exceed 30–60 calendar days, depending on the complexity of the case.

The Editorial Board of LEGAL HORIZONS reserves the right to publish information about confirmed violations in accordance with the principles of transparency and international standards of publication ethics.