Editorial Note (English)

Abstract

We are pleased to present Volume 4 of the Journal of Afghan Legal Studies (JALS), a collection of scholarly contributions that shed light on significant issues in Afghan law and legal development. This journal is a central element of the Afghan Legal Studies Project, initiated in 2015 by Professor Dr. Hashim Kamali and Dr. Tilmann Röder. Another cornerstone of this project is the Hamida Barmaki Ph.D. Scholarship Program, which supports fourteen Afghan legal scholars in their doctoral research. In 2018, the first two scholars who had been supported by the programme successfully completed their doctorate. Dr. Wali Mohammad Naseh wrote his thesis about “Trademark Protection in the Legal System of Afghanistan”. The editors of this volume congratulate him and his supervisor, Professor Dr. Alexander Peukert of Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main. Dr. Wahidullah Amiri successfully defended his thesis “Legal Pluralism in Afghanistan” at the University of South Wales. The editors congratulate him and his supervisors, Dr. Ali Wardak – an eminent member of the Academic Advisory Board of this journal – and Prof. Mike Maguire. Despite the fact that the funding for the PhD Program ended, many of the Ph.D. candidates again supported the production of this volume with technical editing. The editors extend their sincere gratitude to them, as well as to Mr. Ahmad Shah Ahmadyar and Ms. Aisha Mahmood, for their invaluable assistance. This issue of JALS highlights several important themes in Afghan law, presenting original research and critical analyses. Notably, it includes a scientific English translation of, and comment on the Constitution of the Taliban, a document originally drafted in 1998. Many other articles explore under-researched areas of Afghan law, such as Access to Information Law, Insurance Law, and Citizenship Law. We hope that this volume will contribute to the ongoing discourse on Afghan legal development and serve as a valuable resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers alike. As editors, we are grateful to all contributors for their dedication and scholarly excellence, and we look forward to continued engagement with the vibrant Afghan legal research community.