Year and Volume
• Include the year the decision was handed down in parentheses '( )' if law report series is organised by volume (rule 2.2.1)
• Include the year in square brackets '[ ]' if law report series is organised by year
Law Report Series
• Always use the authorised version of the report where available (rule 2.2.2)
Start Page and Pinpoint Reference
• Include the first page of the report after the abbreviated form of the report series (rules 2.2.4)
• Include reference to a specific page, after the starting page, preceded by a comma and a space (rule 2.2.5)
• Include reference to paragraph numbers (where present) in square brackets after pinpoint page number (rule 2.2.5)
• Include only surnames of individuals (rule 2.1.1)
• Include only first plaintiff and first defendant if multiple parties (rule 2.1.1)
• Use Commonwealth, Western Australia, Queensland, etc (rule 2.1.3)
• Use 'R' to abbreviate the Queen or King (rule 2.1.4)
• Use a 'v' to separate party names
• Include full case name followed by shortened title (italicised and placed within single inverted commas and parentheses)
• Omit the case name in footnote citation if given in full in the essay text (rule 2.1.15)
• Use parentheses around the year in which the decision was handed down ( ) where the volumes of a law report series are organised by volume number
• Use square brackets around the year in which the decision was handed down [ ] where the volumes of a law report series are organised by year
• Include the volume number between the year and report series abbreviation if more than one volume is produced in a single year
The authorised version of the report should always be used where available.
The version of a case to be cited should follow the preference order below (from top to bottom):
| Version | Examples |
|---|---|
| Authorised report | CLR, FCR, NSWLR, VR,WAR |
| Generalist unauthorised report | ALR, AJLR, FLR, ACTR |
| Subject-specific unauthorised report | A Crim R, ACSR, IR, IPR |
| Unreported (medium neutral citation) | HCA, FCA, NSWSC, VSC |
| Unreported (no medium neutral citation) | See rule 2.3.2 |
Standard format for footnote
Law report series organised by volume:
|
Case Name ( Year ) Volume Law Report Series Abbreviation Starting Page , Pinpoint < URL >. |
Law report series organised by year:
|
Case Name [ Year ] Law Report Series Abbreviation Starting Page , Pinpoint < URL >. |
Standard format for bibliography
Law report series organised by volume:
|
Case Name ( Year ) Volume Law Report Series Starting Page |
Law report series organised by year:
|
Case Name [ Year ] Law Report Series Starting Page |
1 Hot Holdings Pty Ltd v Creasy (1996) 185 CLR 149.
2 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v TPG Internet Pty Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 640.
3 Unions NSW v New South Wales (2013) 252 CLR 530.
4 R v Reid [2007] 1 Qd R 64.
5 Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 158 CLR ('Tasmanian Dam Case').
6 Borg v Commissioner, Department of Corrective Services [2002] EOC ¶93-198.
7 Murphy v Overton Investments Pty Ltd (2004) 216 CLR 388, 402 [29].
8 Aldrick v EM Investments (Qld) Pty Ltd [2000] 2 Qd R 346 (Court of Appeal).