[Interview] From startup to global top 10: The Hague Journal on the Rule of Law's rise to academic prominence

As the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law rose to number 8 among law journals worldwide in the 2024 Journal Citation Reports, we interviewed Ronald Janse, the journal’s editor-in-chief about this milestone. For Janse, the key to their success is clear: a focus on relevance, quality, and accessibility. What does this achievement mean for legal scholarship, for the importance of open access publishing, and for the ongoing effort to keep the rule of law alive. An interview.

To begin, could you briefly explain the origins of the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law and your role as editor-in-chief?
“The Hague Journal on the Rule of Law (HJRL) was born in 2009 when I was working at the Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law (HiiL). HiiL’s director, Sam Muller, had met Thomas Carothers of the Carnegie Foundation, the author of a pivotal paper called The Rule of Law Revival in Foreign Affairs. Thomas pointed out there were two strong academic journals on democracy, but none focused exclusively on the rule of law. So, Sam and I decided to pursue it. We were fortunate that professors Julio Faundez and Randy Peerenboom agreed to serve as editors-in-chief, lending their academic stature and networks. In those early years, I assisted them and in 2015 became editor-in-chief. We started in 2009 with two issues per year and in 2019 we moved to publishing three issues per year.”

Congratulations on HJRL’s remarkable rise to number 8 among law journals worldwide. The journal is surpassing prestigious titles such the Stanford Law Review and the Columbia Law Review, and standing just behind the Harvard Law Review. How did you and your team achieve this?
“The current ranking is fantastic. Last year, we were number 12 and we did not really expect to improve, but we did. The journal impact factor indicates the academic impact of the work we publish. It is calculated by dividing the citations in a given year to articles published in the previous two years by the total citable items in those years. So, in 2024, articles from 2022 and 2023 were cited on average 3.3 times. The journal has released much research that truly matters — opening new research avenues or explaining key developments in the rule of law worldwide. And that is exactly our aim. That said, rankings do not tell the whole story, as topic choice and accessibility also affect ranking. We have published extensively on rule of law backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe, especially Poland, issues which are widely read and cited. But our excellent articles on the rule of law in African countries or historical cases beyond ancient Greece and Rome generally receive fewer downloads and citations, especially behind paywalls. The Hague Journal on the Rule of Law has an editorial and honorary board with many leading experts, which surely contributes to our success. We have also produced special issues edited by outstanding academics like Bogdan Iancu, Helena Torroja, who assembled stellar groupings of authors and ensured high quality. I am really happy that in September 2025 we will publish a magnificent special issue on Xi Jinping’s Thought on rule of law, edited by former editor-in-chief Randy Peerenboom. And of course, publishers T.M.C. Asser Press and Springer always offer smooth editorial and operational support.” 

Given these factors, could you explain what sets the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law apart?
“There are other excellent law journals which publish regularly on rule of law, including the International Journal on Constitutional Law, the European Constitutional Law Review, and the European Journal of International Law. But the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law is the only international journal that is exclusively dedicated to the rule of law. We publish work on the rule of law globally, in many countries and at the transnational or international level, including historical analyses.” 

What kind of scholarship does HJRL aim to promote?
“HJRL welcomes all varieties of rule of law scholarship: major trends in the rule of law in significant regions or countries, conceptual discussion, historical analyses, critical analyses, the international and transnational rule of law, measuring rule of law, successful and less successful attempts to build rule of law, and much else.”

HJRL’s visibility is impressive: in 2024, it published 24 open access articles, up from 16 in 2023, and recorded over 181,000 downloads. How important is open access publishing to your strategy to increase global engagement?
“Open access publishing is essential because open access articles consistently receive significantly more downloads and citations than those behind paywalls. It's particularly regrettable that many authors in developing countries, who would benefit most from the increased visibility open access provides, often cannot afford the associated fees, which severely limits the reach of their valuable work. However, publishing open access can cost hundreds or even thousands of euros, a financial barrier many institutions simply cannot overcome.
Since 2009, we've clearly observed how access shapes readership. In Africa or Latin America, for instance, where many of these articles are highly relevant, access is frequently blocked by paywalls. So while high journal rankings are valuable, they don't always tell the whole story. Journals with lower rankings can, and often do, publish excellent work focusing on underrepresented regions. Therefore, when we select articles, our primary goal isn't just about maximising reach or chasing rankings, although potential engagement does play a minor role in our considerations.” 

Are you also receiving more contributions from authors from the Global South or from NGOs and international organisations?
“Between 2009 and 2014, we published a rich body of work on NGO and donor-led rule of law initiatives, often through special issues focused on poverty alleviation in countries such as Tanzania and India. While this strand has become less prominent in recent years  ̶  partly because major actors like the World Bank and USAID have scaled back or phased out their programmes  ̶  it remains a relevant area for the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law. We continue to welcome submissions on these themes.”

HJRL is published by Asser Press in collaboration with Springer. How does the journal fit within the Asser Institute’s mission to contribute to public interest research in international and European law?
“The Asser Institute and Asser Press are the ideal home for the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law. The Institute hosts excellent researchers and has three distinctive research strands on international and European law. HJRL and other Asser Press journals align well with the Institute’s agenda, as the standing of the journals benefits from this association. Other Asser Press journals also do well  ̶  for example, the European Business Organization Law Review ranks around 20, which is impressive for a relatively small publisher. That said, the ties could be stronger. HJRL currently exists as a journal alone  ̶  without regular academic meetings or an authors’ society. This is regrettable, since in the past, meetings led to articles, special issues, and collaborations. So, I hope that the Asser Institute, Asser Press, and HJRL will develop such a community in The Hague soon. The Open University, where I work, opening a centre in The Hague in 2026 should help.” 

You lead a growing and engaged law faculty at the Open University. Do you believe legal journals should more actively connect research with policy and social impact?
“In the beginning, the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law held meetings with academics and policymakers from international organisations like the World Bank, UNDP, and IDLO. At the time, both academics and practitioners felt a mutual need to connect, especially on topics like measuring the ‘rule of law’ or ‘security sector reform in Afghanistan’. Recently, HJRL board members have advised European institutions on countering rule of law backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe, based partly on work we published. So, yes, some articles can and should influence policymaking. Still, the journal will publish high-quality academic work that may have no policy relevance  ̶  for example, on medieval rule of law origins.” 

With HJRL’s strong ranking, the journal is drawing more interest from early-career researchers. What do you look for in a manuscript and what’s your advice for young scholars in rule of law?
“We publish early-career researchers and sometimes prioritise their papers in the table of contents to boost visibility, so there is no bias against younger scholars; we welcome them and hope to be regarded by them as a journal where you would want your research published. Manuscripts must fit HJRL’s scope, which is current rule of law developments domestically, transnationally, and internationally; theoretical issues; the rule of law’s relationship with economic development, democratisation and human rights; historical analysis; and trends in rule of law promotion. 
When we look at manuscripts, the first hurdle is often scope. We often receive highly technical or jurisdiction-specific work that may be excellent but does not suit our audience. Second, literature engagement matters. Most rejections occur when our reviewers note that key texts were missed or insufficiently taken into consideration. Authors must demonstrate familiarity with important work and explain their addition to it.” 

In an era where anyone can publish content online and artificial intelligence threatens to flood the marketplace of ideas: how do you safeguard manuscript quality?
“Many authors we publish are known to the editorial team or part of special issues, which gives confidence in the work’s authenticity. Papers are typically reviewed by three experts. The submission system checks sources and references. Artificial intelligence can summarise existing content well but developing new arguments or criticism is much harder. A core criterion is that a paper must add something  ̶  a new question, insight, data, or perspective. Without this, it won’t pass review.  Nevertheless, this challenge will increase.” 

Looking ahead, what is next for the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law? Are there new editorial initiatives, thematic focuses, or engagement plans to broaden the journal’s reach and relevance?
“We have upcoming special issues and sections on China, Central and Eastern Europe, and migration policies. HJRL has never published on the USA’s rule of law, but this may change. We also want a significant special issue on the international rule of law. Apart from this, I believe that the journal should organise more events, discussions, and meetings to foster research and public engagement.”

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About Ronald Janse 
Prof. Dr Ronald Janse is dean of the faculty of law at the Open University (OU) in the Netherlands since 2019. He represents the Dutch Law Faculties in the Supervisory Board of the Asser Institute. Janse is a professor of jurisprudence. He was one of the founding editors of the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law (T.M.C Asser Press/ Springer) and has been its editor-in-chief since 2015.

Dr Prof. Ronald Janse