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Secondary & tertiary materials

Tertiary materials

How to find secondary and tertiary legal materials at Murdoch University Library

Dictionaries

Legal dictionaries include definitions from legislation and case law. Find out how to access the most commonly used legal dictionaries in the following tabs.

Spelling and grammar

When using a dictionary to look up correct spelling or grammar, keep AGLC Rule 1.9.1 in mind:

Spelling should comply with the latest edition of the Macquarie Dictionary. Where alternative spellings are given, the first-listed should be used unless there is a good reason to do otherwise. Where a word is not included in the Macquarie Dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary should be used. This will generally mean that British English spelling is preferred to American variants.

General search for meanings or definitions

If you cannot find a definition for a term using the dictionaries suggested, you can conduct a general search for meanings or definitions. You will need to build a comprehensive search string before searching in Library Search and the legal databases. For assistance with creating a search string, see the Legal research process section of the Legal research guide:

For example, if you are searching for a definition in legislation and case law for vicarious liability, you might search:

(character* OR compris* OR defin* OR describ* OR discuss* OR element* OR expla* OR interpret* OR mean* OR phras*) /15 "vicarious liability"

Specialist dictionaries

A number of specialist dictionaries are listed below

The Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary is available within the Lexis+ database but can also be accessed via Library Search.

  1. Search for "Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary" using Library Search
  2. Select the correct search result (most likely the most recent version that is available online)
  3. From the Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary home page, browse the entries to find the relevant term or enter your search term into the search box
  4. Select "Search".

Australian Legal Words and Phrases is available within the Lexis+ database but can also be accessed via Library Search.

  1. Search for "Australian Legal Words and Phrases" using Library Search
  2. Select the correct search result (most likely the most recent version that is available online)
  3. From the Australian Legal Words and Phrases home page, browse the entries to find the relevant term or enter your search term into the search box
  4. Select "Search".

The Australian Law Dictionary is available within the Oxford Reference database but can also be accessed via Library Search.

  1. Search for "Australian Law Dictionary" using Library Search
  2. Select the correct search result (most likely the most recent version that is available online)
  3. From the Australian Law Dictionary home page, browse the entries to find the relevant term or enter your search term into the "Search within work" search box
  4. Select "Search"
  5. Results will be sourced from a significant array of general English language dictionaries as well as specialist dictionaries.

Stroud's Judicial Dictionary of Words and Phrases, from the United Kingdom, is one of the most respected sources of definitions in the common law world. It is an important tool for lawyers and law students to use, but is less important for business and legal studies students.

Stroud's is a wonderful dictionary that will help you legally define terms such as "lard", "lawyers" and "life prisoner", as well as "at once", "at or near", "at the time", "at work" and "asylum".

It is a multi-volume work which is available in print in the Hon. Michael Murray Law Library's reference collection, at R 340.03 STR.

If you cannot access the print copy of Stroud's, check the Internet Archive for reproduced copies:

Tip: If you cannot find the term you are looking for in Stroud's, check if there is a supplement.

The Oxford Dictionary of Law (UK) is included in the Oxford Reference database, and is particularly useful when trying to find definitions of Latin or archaic words and phrases not legally defined in Australia.

  1. Search for "Oxford Dictionary of Law" using Library Search
  2. Select the correct search result (most likely the most recent version that is available online)
  3. From the Oxford Dictionary of Law home page, browse the entries to find the relevant term or enter your search term into the "Search within work" search box
  4. Select "Search"
  5. Results will be sourced from a significant array of general English language dictionaries as well as specialist dictionaries.

Encyclopaedia

Legal encyclopaedia include a topic outline, relevant legislation, significant case law, and journal articles. Legal encyclopaedia and dictionaries are often the first step in understanding an issue. Remember that you should never quote from a legal encyclopaedia. Instead, quote directly from the primary sources of law given in the footnotes.

Legal encyclopaedia can either be browsed or searched. Instructions for searching the most commonly used encyclopaedia can be found in the following tabs.

Specialist encyclopaedia

Halsbury's Laws of Australia is available within the Lexis+ database but can also be accessed via Library Search.

  1. Search for "Halsbury's Laws of Australia" using Library Search
  2. Select the correct search result (most likely the most recent version that is available online)
  3. From the Halsbury's Laws of Australia home page, browse the entries to find the relevant term or enter your search term into the search box
  4. Select "Search".

The Laws of Australia is available within the Westlaw Australia database but can also be accessed via Library Search.

  1. Search for "The Laws of Australia" using Library Search
  2. Select the correct search result (most likely the most recent version that is available online)
  3. From the Laws of Australia home page, browse the entries to find the relevant term or enter your search term into the search box
  4. Select "Search".

The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia is available in the Library's print collection in the Hon. Michael Murray Law Library, at 347.94035 OXF.

Citators

Students of Murdoch University have access to a number of case citators, including:

For more about case citators, see the "About tertiary materials" section of this guide: