Information Skills
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Objectives

What is case law?

Structure of a case

Law reports

Case citation

Finding cases:
full citation

Finding cases: incomplete citation

Finding cases by subject

Updating cases

Legal Reasrch: An introduction, University of Wollongong Library
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Case citation: round brackets and square brackets

  • Some series of reports have volumes individually numbered. The volume number is essential to finding the report.
  • The year is non essential therefore included in round brackets.
  • Example citation from the Commonwealth Law Reports:
Mabo v Queensland (No. 2) (1992) 175 CLR 1
  • Other reporting series are only distinguishable by their year of publication; they do not have unique volume numbers.
  • To find the report, the year is essential therefore included in square brackets.
  • Example citation from Victorian Reports:
R v Moffatt [1998] 2 VR 229
  • Explanation of above citation: R v Moffatt is a case reported at page 229 of volume 2 of the Victorian Reports for 1998. In this criminal case, 'R' is pronounced "the Crown".

For case citation help, consult the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (3rd ed, 2010) (PDF opens in a new window) 47 [2.2]

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