Submissions

Author Guidelines

SACQ AUTHOR GUIDELINES

SACQ is a journal published by the Institute for Security Studies and the Centre for Law and Society at the University of Cape Town. SACQ is an open-access journal, accredited by the Department of Higher Education of South Africa.

The journal is widely read nationally and internationally by criminal justice practitioners, researchers and academics.

Focus and Relevance

South Africa is the primary focus for the journal but articles that reflect research and analysis from other African countries are considered for publication if they demonstrate relevance to South Africa. Authors must explicitly clarify this relevance.

Submission Requirements

• Word count: Articles should be between 3,000 and 6,000 words, including endnotes.
• Language: All articles must have an English title, English abstract, and English keywords. Submissions must be in clear, accessible English, with UK spelling conventions. Avoid jargon, and explain any necessary technical terms, especially legal ones. Authors not accustomed to writing or publishing in English may wish to have their submission reviewed by a colleague, institutional writing centre, or professional editor prior to submission.
• Formatting: Adhere to the SACQ style guide for referencing, style, and formatting. 
• Structure: Use subheadings, tables, graphs, and bullet points to enhance readability. Titles should be concise, with a descriptive subtitle.
• Blinding for review: Ensure submissions are anonymised by removing personal identifiers from the text and document properties. To ensure that the article is blinded, authors must have:
  • Deleted their names from the text, with "Author" and year used in the references and footnotes, instead of the authors' name, article title, etc.
  • With Microsoft Office documents, author identification should also be removed from the properties for the file (see under File in Word), by clicking on the following, beginning with File on the main menu of the Microsoft application: File > Save As > Tools (or Options with a Mac) > Security > Remove personal information from file properties on save > Save.
  • With PDFs, the authors' names should also be removed from Document Properties found under File on Adobe Acrobat's main menu.

Content Guidelines

• Abstract: Include a 100 – 150 word abstract that summarises the article effectively.
• Context: Link the topic to current events, policy debates, or legislation. Provide a balanced presentation of facts and background.
• Opinion: Clear expression of the author’s viewpoint is encouraged, provided it is well-supported by evidence.

Technical Requirements

• Please see the SACQ style guide for a description of the appropriate referencing style.
• Endnotes are used for all referencing. Use Word’s endnote function for references; avoid superscript numerals or numbered lists.
• Authors are responsible for ensuring that all hyperlinks in endnotes are correct and functional.
• Authors are responsible for providing DOI numbers for all referenced articles. Please see the SACQ style guide for more information on how to format the references to include DOI numbers.
• The journal is laid out in two columns. Please keep subheadings short so that they fit on one line of a column if possible. Articles should not be formatted into two columns for submission; this is handled during the final production stage.
• Acknowledgements can be made at the end of the article if necessary.

Plagiarism and Ethics

All submissions will undergo a plagiarism check via iThenticate. Detected plagiarism will result in automatic rejection without an opportunity to revise.

ORCID

Prospective authors are required to register for an ORCID at http://orcid.org/ and to link their ORCID to their profile on the portal through the author information page. Authors should please ensure that at least their affiliations and qualifications are made public in their ORCID profile.

GUIDELINES FOR CASE NOTES

The following guidelines for case notes have been adapted from those drafted by Emeritus Prof Alan Rycroft from the Department of Commercial Law of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town. Any errors are solely the responsibility of the SACQ editors, for which we apologise to the author.

Introduction

• Identify the legal area, case significance, and central issue.
• Engage readers with the stakes: changes, clarifications, or errors in legal interpretation.
• State your argument concisely: whether the case sets a precedent, clarifies law, or is flawed.

Legal background

• Summarise relevant law prior to the case for context, including common law, statutes, and key precedents.
• If interpreting a statute for the first time, the introduction may explain what you understand the purpose/mischief behind the statute.

Case facts

• Provide a succinct summary using clear descriptors (e.g., buyer, seller, employer) instead of legal terms like respondent or applicant.
• Omit irrelevant details while noting significant evidence briefly.
• Tell the story concisely but engagingly, possibly highlighting a memorable fact if pertinent.

Court’s decision

• Focus on extracting the ratio decidendi as the binding part of the judgement.
• Discuss relevant obiter dicta and minority judgements that might influence future cases.

Significance and analysis

• Critically analyse the court's decision and whether it changes or conforms with existing law.
• Consider the decision's logic, justification, and potential legal implications.
• Discuss how the decision integrates with or diverges from existing literature and its broader impacts on legal and public policy.

Concluding guidance

• Ensure the title accurately reflects the content to enhance discoverability and impact.
• Use the FIRAC model (Facts, Issue, Rule of Law, Application, Conclusion) as a structural guide.
• Feel free to critically assess the court’s approach; scholarly debate is encouraged.