As academics who strive for perfection, we tend to be our harshest critics. Reading the ‘final’ proofs before each issue – or even worse the issue after it is published – evokes a sense of trepidation. Each inconsistency in style or typesetting error, tortures our collective editorial souls. The abject shame of a grammatical mishap or cardinal sin of a spelling error, subjects us to each reader’s benevolent mercy. Hyperbole aside, rejoicing in life’s small victories is a life lesson too often forgotten. As mindfulness seems to have become today’s raison d'être, I start this issue with this life lesson in mind.
Four years’ ago, the Journal embarked on a new chapter in its history by partnering with Cambridge University Press to publish two issues a year. Since that time, the Journal has experienced extraordinary growth. Among other measures, downloads per month have gone from about 200 in 2016 to about 1,800 for the first three months of 2019. Sixteen articles were downloaded more than 200 times each in 2018 alone. The entire Journal team has worked exceptionally hard to fulfill our mission to be the leading forum for research and discussion of the law and legal systems of Asia. With cautious optimism, I believe our collective efforts are achieving this goal.
This Issue boasts an impressive lineup. It includes six articles which use a multitude of research methods, to interrogate timely legal issues, in a variety of jurisdictions across Asia. Although these articles are rich in their diversity, they are bound together by their high level of academic rigour and the novel insights that they provide, which significantly advance their respective fields of Asian and comparative law. I would like to congratulate the authors on this achievement.
Finally, as always, I am grateful for the skill, hard work and dedication of the Journal’s Executive Editors (Kevin Y.L. Tan and Wang Jiangyu), Book Review Editors (Michael W. Dowdle and David Donald), Deputy Editor (Dian A.H. Shah), Associate Editors (Lance W.P. Ang, Chong Siew Men, Alan K.Y. Koh, Muhammad Nurshazny B Ramlan, Samantha S. Tang, Bryan Dennis Gabito Tiojanco, and Ayesha Wijayalath), and Assistant Editor (Wilson T.V. Tay) and our administrative team (Elizabeth Chua and Khairiyah Binte Abu). We are also grateful to our twenty-eight Subject Editors who are primarily based in leading law schools across Asia, which distinguishes the Journal in its ability to deliver an authentic Asian voice in a way that influences the leading international literature. We would also like to thank our Advisory Board, made up of prominent members of the Asian law fraternity from around the world, for their continued support and guidance.
We hope that you enjoy reading this Issue as much as we enjoyed working on it.
