A history of the Journal of Anti-Corruption Law (JACL)

The Journal of Anti-Corruption Law (JACL), launched in 2017, is the fruition of a long-time, shared vision of Professors Lovell Fernandez, Raymond Koen, Jamil Mujuzi and Abraham Hamman, four colleagues in the Department of Criminal Justice and Procedure with diverse, but intersecting fields of expertise and research interests.  As observers of and commentators on the tumultuous changes in the political and legal landscape of South Africa and globally, they realised the need for a safe platform to allow for free and constructive debate, engagement, analysis, and innovation.  Corruption, the vice which threads together, the malaise of countless industries and sectors of private and public life, was the lens through which the founders of JACL conceptualised an open access journal.  JACL welcomed contributions from a variety of researchers, students, practitioners, and other role players.  From 2017 until the end of 2019, JACL’s managing editors comprised the four founding members.  By 2020, however, Professors Fernandez and Koen had both retired.  Sadly, both professors passed away not long after their retirement.  This left a void in the management and editorial team.  In 2021, however, Professor Robert Nanima and Dr Chesné Albertus were appointed to the editorial team.  Despite these major losses and the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, JACL continued to be a platform for robust engagement, pioneering research, and a think-tank for strategies to combat corruption and all forms of economic crimes.