
	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

What is Case Law?

Case Law is the general term for the legal principles developed by judges to determine legal disputes.
Case Law is recorded in judicial decisions or judgments. Only decisions of importance (e.g. cases that clarify/settle a principle of law heard in the superior courts, Supreme, Federal & High Court) are recorded in law reports.
Case Law is also known in Australia as common law or judge made law.
Case Law is valuable as precedents but constitute only a small number of cases heard each year.
Some District Court (NSW) and Local Court judgments are available to the public. Scroll through the list to locate Local Court decisions.
In civil cases, the judgment is available only to the parties involved.
A new series of reports District Court Law Reports (NSW) is available from 2001, accessible via Legal Online.