General information for authors

 

Formatting:

Formatting details such as font, line spacing, etc. are secondary.

Please use italics for names, highlighted terms and references to court decisions. Please do not underline or use bold-face type in the text.

Persons should be referred to in the body of the text by their surname only.

Spelling:

Please use British English.

Structure:

Every submission shall be structured as follows: I., II., III., 1., 2., 3., a), b), c).

Abbreviations:
 
Abbreviations should be written out in full the first time they are used in the text. The abbreviation should then be placed in brackets.
 
Gender-inclusive language:
 

We encourage the use of gender-inclusive language. For example, use ‘person’ or ‘human’ rather than ‘man’ where appropriate. Use ‘he or she’ if needed, but consider plural where possible. Alternatively, the use of ‘they’ and ‘their’ as singular pronouns is acceptable.

 
Treaties, declarations, laws, etc.:
 

In treaties, use the usual abbreviations. All should be written out the first time and the abbreviations should be given in brackets. Please cite the source (UNTS, UN Doc., BGBl. etc.) in the footnote.

Example:
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966, UNTS vol. 999, p. 171.

Protocol 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on the Prohibition of Discrimination of 4 November 2000, ETS No. 177.

International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families of 18 December 1990, UNTS vol 2220, p. 3.

If the Federal Republic of Germany has ratified the relevant treaty, reference shall additionally made to the reference in the Federal Law Gazette II.

Example:
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966, Federal Law Gazette 1973 II, p. 1534.
 
Articles, paragraphs etc.:
 

Articles and paragraphs shall be cited as follows, e.g.: Art. 35 para. 2 lit. a ECHR; § 80 para. 2 no. 2 VwGO. Please use lit. and no.

Example:

Art. 21 CFR

Art. 14 ECHR

Art. 62 para. 2 UN-Charter

Art. 1 lit. a Rules of Court ECtHR

Art. 38 para. 1 lit. c) ICJ-Statute

Art. 1 sentence 1 OP-ICCPR
 
Quotations and plagiarism:
 

Please use inverted commas according to the language, i.e. German inverted commas for German quotations, English inverted commas for English quotations.

Example German:

„Alle Menschen sind frei und gleich an Würde und Rechten geboren.“

Example English:

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."
 
Date:
 
Please always write the date in full, e.g. 22 April 2021, not 22.04.21.