Cairo, October 08 (QNA) – The Arab Centre for Legal and Judicial Research, affiliated with the Council of Arab Justice Ministers, adopted the Guide to Documenting Arab Legal Research, prepared by the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), as a unified Arab reference guide for documenting Arab legal research and studies.

The guide was adopted during the 34th meeting of deans and directors of Arab judicial institutes, held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo. This move embodies the leading role of the Ministry of Justice’s Center for Legal and Judicial Studies and reflects the State of Qatar’s successful experience in the field of legal studies and research.

During the meeting, Director of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at MOJ, Dr. Abdullah Hamad Al Khaldi reviewed the current state of citation in Arab legal research and journals, as well as comparative experiences, outlining the guide’s objectives, the rationale for its preparation, and its methodology, based on the latest international standards.

He pointed out that the guide was prepared in response to the disparities in citation styles observed across the Arab legal landscape, among law faculties, judicial institutes, and specialized journals, and the resulting challenges regarding the quality of legal research and its suitability for peer review and scholarly indexing.

The presentation highlighted seven instances of inconsistency in citation practices within Arab research, most notably the absence of specific formats for certain sources, incomplete details regarding judicial rulings, and the failure to indicate the enforceability status of legislation.

The presentation pointed out that the Arab guide draws upon leading international models, foremost among them the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) and the American Bluebook, while taking into account the unique characteristics of Arab legislative, judicial, and Sharia sources.

The guide focuses on standardizing documentation methods and enhancing the accuracy of legislative citations, by specifying official wording, the latest amendments, and enforceability status, thereby upholding academic integrity and supporting the quality of legal publishing in the Arab world.

The guide comprises 11 key areas, including Sharia sources, national legislation, judicial rulings, international sources, and emerging sources, foremost among them being artificial intelligence outputs, and stipulates that it will be reviewed periodically every two years.

The Guide to Documenting Arab Legal Research received its first academic accreditation from Qatar University (QU), and is expected to secure similar accreditations from other Arab universities, thereby bolstering its adoption within Arab academic and legal circles. (QNA)