Chief-in-Editor  Prof. Badria A. Al-Awadi

The importance of authentic and serious scientific research as a wellspring of renewal and development in achieving the renaissance of legal thought is being affirmed every day. This improves understanding and regulates the changing social and humanitarian conditions our societies face, both flexibly and effectively. The institutions of higher education, represented in the faculties of law including their faculty and students, and other law institutions, have played a pivotal role in establishing sober and serious scientific rules and practices. These practices have had a serious impact in achieving this renaissance and have resulted in influential works such as encyclopaedias, books, articles and other research outputs. These in turn have been translated into several languages, and have resulted in the emergence of a new generation of jurists, intellectuals and legal scholars, across the Arab world.
Authentic and serious research, such as the work in this Journal, needs to be supported to confront the increasingly problematic phenomenon of plagiarised or stolen research. Unfortunately, this phenomenon has begun to pose a real threat to the sanctity of scientific research and its future. Plagiarism and unethical research practices have spread among the ranks of students and researchers alike, who merely wish to obtain degrees, certificates, and promotions effortlessly and through nefarious means. This amounts to a flagrant violation of the values and ethics of scientific research, which is characterised by integrity and respect for others’ efforts, and the originality and seriousness of research. Confronting this devastating phenomenon requires the cooperation of all parties to address and eradicate it.
Hence there is a pressing importance and responsibility upon various legal, scientific and academic institutions to counter these unethical practices by developing and implementing strict measures at different phases of the research process, as well as intensifying awareness-raising and guidance on the importance of ethics and the values of integrity in scientific research. This phenomenon also requires cooperation between colleges and universities in various countries to entrench the values of integrity in scientific research and expose any violations or abuses. No doubt the responsibility to address this issue also lies on society in general, and particularly its educational, religious and media institutions, through education, guidance and awareness-raising.
For our part, we at the Kuwait International Law School Journal regard this publication as a platform for serious and sober scientific research, and we consider that our role is complementary to that of other scientific and academic institutions. We endeavour to contribute to raising awareness of the seriousness of the need for academic integrity. We invite all concerned parties to assume responsibility, as well as coordinate efforts with similar forums and scientific and academic institutions, to implement stringent criteria in accepting and disseminating research.