The Rabel Journal of Comparative and International Private Law

The Journal was founded in 1927 by Ernst Rabel as the central German depository and forum for foundational research on the international aspects of private law, economic and business law, and procedural law. Accordingly, the journal addresses comparative law, foreign law, international private law, international economic and business law, international civil procedure and the unification of law, including European law.

Since its founding in 1927, the Rabel Journal has pursued both practical and theoretical aims. It serves as a forum for international scholarly dialogue and engagement with foreign research. It also provides German lawmakers with decision-making tools by elucidating other countries’ experiences, and it gathers informed opinions on issues arising from the increasing unification of laws through international treaties and other regulations.

The Rabel Journal publishes articles pertaining to all the Institute’s areas of focus, and has in recent years also increasingly addressed topics in business law and European law. It devotes particular attention to legal instruments of the European Union and Conventions of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. Special issues provide in-depth and nuanced examination of specific topics. New legislation, treaties and comparative-law-based legislative drafts are reproduced and critically evaluated in the “legislative and other materials” section. A broad-ranging review section covers relevant academic literature from Germany and abroad.

The Journal has been published by Mohr Siebeck and has carried the name of its founder since 1961. It is released four times yearly (print and online versions) and is jointly edited by the Institute Directorate together with Jürgen Basedow, Ulrich Drobnig, Bernhard Großfeld, Klaus J. Hopt, Hein Kötz, Ernst-Joachim Mestmäcker, Wernhard Möschel, and Reinhard Zimmermann; further support is provided by an editorial committee of external and internal scholars, currently comprising Mateusz Grochowski (Hamburg), Jens Kleinschmidt (Trier), Christoph Kumpan (Halle-Wittenberg), Jan Peter Schmidt (Hamburg), Klaus Ulrich Schmolke (Erlangen), Kurt Siehr (Zurich and Hamburg) and Wolfgang Wurmnest (Augsburg); publication of the Journal is coordinated at the Institute by Managing Editor Christian Eckl.

Guidelines for submitting authors

The acceptance of a manuscript for publication will be confirmed in writing and under the proviso that the submitted article is not being published or offered for publication elsewhere. By agreeing to publication the author conveys exclusive publication rights to the Mohr Siebeck publishing house; exclusivity falls away one year following publication (see here for further details).

Submissions are evaluated by a review board (Editorial Committee). The editorial staff strives to complete the evaluative process within a period of three to six weeks. Articles typically comprise 20–30 printed pages, a printed page being made up of approximately 3,000 characters inclusive of empty spaces and footnotes.

Reviews are typically 3–4 printed pages in length with a printed page being made up of approximately 3,500 characters inclusive of empty spaces and footnotes. Books subject to review are sent to the authors from the RabelsZ editorial staff. In general, if the review has not been written, the book must be returned.

As a general rule the language of publication is German, English or French. Submissions must in all instances be provided to the editorial staff in electronic form as a WORD document. Please also observe our stylesheet with Instructions for authors or the Instructions for reviewers. The editorial office reserves the right to revise manuscripts accordingly.

Stylesheets

Other Interesting Articles

Go to Editor View