Journal History

Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum is a peer-reviewed academic journal that has evolved alongside institutional transformation and the development of legal scholarship within Indonesia’s state Islamic higher education system. The journal was first published in print form in 2005 by the Department of Sharia and Islamic Economics, State Islamic College (STAIN) Jurai Siwo Metro. In its early stage, Istinbath served as an internal academic medium to support the development of Islamic law studies and to disseminate scholarly works by faculty members of the Department of Sharia.

Following institutional restructuring, the Department of Sharia and Islamic Economics was separated into the Faculty of Sharia and the Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business. Throughout this process, Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum remained under the Faculty of Sharia, maintaining its strong foundation in legal and sharia scholarship.

Since 2015, Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum has transitioned from a print-based publication to an online journal using the Open Journal System (OJS). This transition significantly improved accessibility, editorial transparency, and dissemination. At the same time, the journal strengthened its governance by implementing a rigorous peer-review process, reinforcing its commitment to academic quality and scholarly exchange.

The intellectual roots of Istinbath are closely connected to academic discussion forums organized by the Faculty of Sharia at STAIN Jurai Siwo Metro in 2015. These forums fostered critical dialogue and provided the impetus to develop Istinbath as a formal publication platform. The journal’s name, Istinbath, is derived from a fundamental concept in Islamic law referring to the method of deriving legal rulings, symbolizing the journal’s commitment to critical, analytical, and methodologically sound legal inquiry.

Institutionally, STAIN Jurai Siwo Metro later became the State Islamic Institute (IAIN) Metro, and in 2025 was officially transformed into the State Islamic University (UIN) Jurai Siwo Lampung. Throughout these transitions, Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum has been consistently maintained as part of the institution’s commitment to sustaining academic tradition and strengthening research culture in legal studies.

Initially, the journal focused on Islamic law, including family law, Islamic economic law, Islamic criminal law, and contemporary legal issues, primarily targeting a national readership. In response to increasing standards of journal governance and international visibility, since 2020 Istinbath has adopted English titles, abstracts, and keywords to broaden its reach to international audiences.

A major step toward internationalization was taken in June 2023, when Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum began publishing 100% of its articles in English. This policy has encouraged contributions from international authors and enhanced the journal’s global visibility. The journal is currently indexed in several national and international databases, including Google Scholar, Garuda, Moraref, CrossRef, and Dimensions.

In line with global academic developments and inclusivity, in 2025 the journal strategically expanded its focus from Islamic law to general law, while continuing to accommodate Islamic law studies as part of its historical identity. As Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum marks its 20th year of publication, it stands at a mature stage of scholarly development, committed to strengthening its international profile. By the end of 2025, the journal aims to pursue further international indexing, including submission to Scopus, to enhance its contribution to legal scholarship at national, regional, and global levels.