Journal profile · LAW
Journal of African Law
ISSN 0021-8553 · eISSN 1464-3731 · Cambridge University Press
Journal of African Law: CAS Zone 4 · Sociology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.46; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; 40 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of African Law is published by Cambridge University Press and is in Zone 4 of Sociology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Legal Issues in South Africa, Diverse Scientific and Economic Studies and Human auditory perception and evaluation, together about 34.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Political Science and International Relations. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of African Law has been in existence for over 65 years and in that time has reflected changing trends in law and legal reform.The earlier focus on legal pluralism and customary law has evolved to include a focus on issues of international law in the African context, legal and institutional regional and sub-regional developments, post conflict resolution, constitutionalism, commercial law and environmental law.In recent years the Journal has published articles ranging from the Sharia debate in Nigeria, LGBT rights in Malawi, the new constitutional dispensation in Southern Sudan to case notes including on the rights of indigenous peoples under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.The Journal welcomes articles on all legal issues pertaining to the African continent in its entirety. It particularly invites articles that have a regional or sub-regional, comparative or cross-cutting dimension, and which focus on major challenges and developments across the continent.The Journal of African Law is an open access journal and now also invites special issue or special section proposals on themes falling within its remit.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): LAW
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United Kingdom 9, South Africa 7, United States 4, Australia 2, Germany 1 (26 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Legal Issues in South AfricaSocial Sciences16.7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance9.2%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering8.8%
- Financial Crisis of the 21st CenturyEconomics, Econometrics and Finance7.6%
- Human Rights and DevelopmentSocial Sciences7%
- Conflict of Laws and JurisdictionSocial Sciences6.1%
- International Law and Human RightsSocial Sciences5.6%
- Land Rights and ReformsAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Law | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Law | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Sociology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Sociology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Law | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 0.46LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.23LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.67LetPub ·
- h-index
- 38OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 252OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.51OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 68.54%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 34LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,948 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| 2025 | 40 | 35 | 13 |
| 2024 | 34 | 29 | 35 |
| 2023 | 32 | 22 | 58 |
| 2022 | 33 | 16 | 79 |
| 2021 | 52 | 42 | 179 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,550 / GBP 2,460 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websitePeer review
- Peer review
Peer reviewed Model summary
original, succinct, authoritative, and peer-reviewed scholarly and scientific research
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- ISSN
- 0021-8553
- Electronic ISSN
- 1464-3731
- Society / sponsor
- School of Oriental and African Studies
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of African Law
What CAS zone is Journal of African Law in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of African Law is in Zone 4 of Sociology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Law. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Sociology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of African Law?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.46; CiteScore 1, h-index 38.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of African Law based?
Of the 26 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (9), South Africa (7) and United States (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of African Law?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of African Law is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of African Law open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of African Law is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .