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Self Paced Lesson - Migration Case Law - Subject Guide: 9: Source Cases on a Topic

Both KeyCite and CaseBase are indexes to Australian cases, with links to the full text of many cases.

If you are looking for cases on a particular point of law or subject you should start with these before moving on to search the full text.

Searching CaseBase

  1. Open Lexis Advance.
  2. Locate CaseBase Cases under Publications.
  3. Select Go to Advanced Search.
  4. Look at the search boxes carefully.
  5. Consider using the Jurisdiction and Court check boxes to limit your search.
  6. Search terms: enter your terms in the Terms search box. You can be quite sophisticated in how you combine your terms in this box. You can use quotation marks to indicate a phrase, and you can use proximity connectors.
    For example:
    1. "native title" AND "title to land" results in 9 cases.
    2. "native title" /10 "title to land" results in 4 cases.
    3. "native title" OR "title to land" finds well over 2000 cases.
  7. Look at the note on the right-had side of the screen under Use Connectors to see how to combine your terms.
CaseBase does not have a structured linked catchwords/digest system.
You therefore need to carefully review the catchwords they use for subject analysis to see if there are alternative terms you could use which would be useful in your research.
Find References to this Case is a link on the right-hand side of the screen under About This Document - this might prove useful.

Look to see if there is a heading Publications referring to this case to take you to journal articles about the case you found.

The Help tab at the top rights of the screen links to tutorials that might advance your understanding of how to make best use of this database.

Searching KeyCite

  1. Open the KeyCite search screen by selecting Key Numbers from the Content Types menu on the home screen of Westlaw Australia.
  2. Look at the list of subject headings carefully. Up until now you have used the case name or citation box to find cases you know about.
  3. Select a general subject (example - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) to be taken to a more detailed list of subject headings, along with their KeyCite numbers.
  4. Select a subject heading/KeyCite number (example -  Key Number Symbol 7-19.5 Native title > 13 Proof and evidence)
  5. Limiting the search to a jurisdiction or date can be helpful, as is limiting your search to a classification. 
  6. Search within results: Enter your terms in the search box. If you don't put any Boolean connectors in your search the default will be to combine them with AND.
    You can use quotation marks to indicate a phrase. For example:
    • "native title" evidence has the same results as "native title" AND evidence
    • "native title" OR evidence has many more results.

When you have found a useful result list you can click through to each case summary, and in many instances, to the full text of the case.

Look to see if there is a heading Noted in Journals to take you to articles about the case you found.

Look at the Search Tips button by the search box at the top of the page to find  instructions for how to use these resources.

Subjects: Law, Research