Before using this guide check with your faculty, school or department for their specific referencing guidelines
Referencing of legal resources can vary according to country. For this section of the guide we have used the following resource:
Style manual for authors, editors and printers. 6th ed. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2002
Legislation
- Acts, Ordinances, and Regulations and other forms of delegated legislation should be cited exactly. Spelling or capitalisation should not be altered to suit the referencing style.
- Legislation is only included in a reference list if it is important to the understanding of the work.
- The year of enactment is part of the title.
| Format |
Title of act including year (abbreviation of jurisdiction) |
| Example |
Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic)
Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cwlth)
Health and Other Services (Compensation) Regulations 1995 (Cwlth)
Medicines Act 1968 (UK)
|
Legal cases
- Required details include the name of the case and reference details - year or volume number or both, abbreviated name of the report series, the page on which the report of the case begins.
- Square brackets are used when there is no volume number and the year is part of the title.
- A decision at law may appear in more than one report series, so more than one reference may be given.
| Format |
Title of case (year) Volume Abbreviated name of report series Page on which report begins |
| Example |
Rogers v. Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479
PP Consultants Pty Limited v. Finance Sector Union [2000] HCA 59
Commonwealth v. Anderson (1960) 105 CLR 303; 34 ALJR 323
Donoghue v. Stevenson [1932] UKHL 100
|