Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities

This guide is based on the 5th edition of the Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA). It outlines the key principles of referencing with OSCOLA. For full guidance, consult the manual:

Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA): Fifth Edition (2025). Faculty of Law, University of Oxford

Please note: Referencing requirements may vary between schools and modules. To ensure you are following the correct style, consult your module guidance, tutor(s) or school office.

If you are an undergraduate student in the School of Law, specific requirements that differ from the OSCOLA manual are indicated in the relevant sections.

Using OSCOLA: in-text citations and footnotes

OSCOLA is a footnote-based referencing style. Sources are cited using superscript numbers in the text, which correspond to full references in footnotes.

In-text numbering and footnotes

• use a superscript number in the text to indicate a citation
• each number corresponds to a footnote at the bottom of the page
• number footnotes consecutively throughout your work.

Placement of footnote numbers

• place the footnote number after punctuation at the end of a sentence
• if it improves clarity, you may place the footnote number directly after a word/phrase within a sentence.

Punctuation in footnotes

• footnotes in OSCOLA use minimal punctuation
• no full stops are used after abbreviations or initials
• use commas only where needed to avoid confusion (e.g. to separate numbers, authors, or titles)
• always end footnotes with a full stop.

Examples:

Pinpoints

A citation tells the reader which source you used. A pinpoint tells the reader where in that source to find the passage or information you are relying on.
Include a pinpoint when you:

• quote directly
• discuss a particular passage, paragraph or page, or
• rely on a specific part of a source.

You do not normally need a pinpoint when referring to source as a whole.

Cases

Give a pinpoint when quoting directly or referring to a specific section of a judgment.
When a judgment has numbered paragraphs, use the paragraph number rather than a page number. Put the paragraph number in square brackets at the end of the case citation.

Example:

Page numbers

If a judgment does not have numbered paragraphs, give the relevant page number instead. Do not put the page number in square brackets and do not write p or pp.

See the section on pinpointing cases for more information.

Books and journal articles

The most common pinpoint for a book or journal article is a page number.

• put the page number at the end of the citation
• do not write p or pp
• use an en dash for a range of pages.

Examples:

In this example, 32 is the pinpoint.

In this example, 520 is the first page of the article and 523 is the pinpoint (the page being referred to).

In this example, 77–79 is the pinpoint, indicating the range of pages being referred to.

Indicators

Indicators are words or abbreviations placed at the beginning of a citation which indicate why the source is being cited.

Indicator	Meaning
see also	Introduces an additional source
cf	Compare
eg	For example
ie	That is (used to clarify/explain)

 

When using Indicators:

• do not capitalise indicators (except ‘See also’ when it begins a sentence or footnote)
• do not include punctuation after indicators.

Quotations, paraphrasing and summarising

Quotations: general rules

• reproduce quotations faithfully. If the original contains an error, add ‘[sic]’ immediately after it
• if you add or retain emphasis, state ‘(emphasis added)’ or ‘(emphasis in original)’ after the citation in the footnote
• use an ellipsis (…) for omitted text or when the original sentence continues. Never place an ellipsis at the start of a quotation and leave a space between it and surrounding text or punctuation
• place punctuation after the closing quotation mark unless it is an essential part of the quotation. Put the footnote marker after both the closing quotation mark and the punctuation
• incorporate the quotation into your text using single quotation marks
• use double quotation marks for a quotation within the quotation.

Short quotations (up to three lines)

• incorporate the quotation into your text using single quotation marks
• use double quotation marks for a quotation within the quotation.

Example:

Long quotations (more than three lines)

• present the quotation as a separate indented paragraph, with no extra indentation on its first line
• do not use quotation marks around the indented quotation
• a colon is normally appropriate when the preceding sentence introduces the quotation
• leave a line space before and after the quotation
• use single quotation marks for any quotation within the indented passage.

Example:

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing restates a specific idea or passage in your own words while preserving its meaning. When paraphrasing:

• cite the source even though you have not copied its wording
• rewrite the idea fully in your own words and connect it explicitly to your own argument or point. Important: Changing only a few words is not sufficient
• give a pinpoint when the paraphrase relates to a specific page, paragraph or passage
• do not use quotation marks unless you retain an exact phrase from the source.

Example:

Summarising

Summarising condenses the main point or points of a longer passage, source or group of sources.

• cite every source whose ideas you summarise
• use a pinpoint when the summary concerns a specific part of a source; a pinpoint is not needed when summarising the work as a whole
• make clear which ideas come from the source and which are your own analysis.

Example:

Non-English words

• italicise words and phrases from languages other than the main language of your writing, unless they form part of a quotation
• provide a translation immediately afterwards in brackets, or in a footnote, if it is likely to assist the reader. When writing in English, do not italicise foreign words and phrases in common legal usage (eg ultra vires, obiter dicta and ratio decidendi) or common Latin abbreviations (eg cf, ie and eg).

Subsequent citations

When citing the same source more than once, use a shortened footnote for subsequent citations.

General rules

• give the full citation the first time you cite a source
• in subsequent citations, briefly identify the source and include a cross-citation
• for cross-citations, use the format: (n X), where X is the original footnote number
• do not use ibid (removed in OSCOLA 5th edition).

How to shorten references

• for secondary sources, give the author’s or authors’ surname(s) and a cross-citation. Add a shortened title where needed to distinguish between works first cited in the same footnote
• for cases, give a short form of the case name (usually the first significant name in the case’s name)
• for legislation, use an abbreviation. The first time you cite the legislation, give the abbreviation in brackets at the end of your footnote. Then use this abbreviation for any subsequent citations.

Note: Cross-citations are not required for subsequent citations of legislation.

Examples:

Citing multiple sources in a single footnote

When citing multiple sources in one footnote:

• separate them with semi-colons
• list sources of the same type in date order
• if some sources are more relevant, list these first in one sentence. Then list the others in a new sentence beginning ‘See also’
• when citing different types of sources relating to a single proposition, list legislation first, cases second and secondary sources (eg books and journal articles) last.

Examples:

Tables of authorities

The School of Law suggests all undergraduate students to add a Table of Authorities (cases/legislation) and a Bibliography (for secondary sources) to essays. Tables of abbreviations are not required for undergraduate work.

If you are a postgraduate student, follow the guidance in the OSCOLA 5th edition. If you are unsure of the requirements, speak to your module tutor or supervisor.

Placement

• give tables in preliminary pages or at the end of your work, before the bibliography.

Table of cases

Follow these guidelines for tables of cases.

• list the page numbers where each case is cited. (If possible, provide this information, but this is not essential for undergraduate students)
• Do not italicise case names
• Separate your table by jurisdiction (unless you’ve only cited a small number of cases)
• List cases alphabetically according to the first major word in the case name
• Omit the ‘R v’ when listing criminal cases
• Include the full case name (with ‘R’) for cases related to other areas of law, and for judicial review cases.

Example:

Tables of legislation

Following the table of cases, list every statute cited in your work in a table. Follow these rules:

• have one entry per statute, with subdivisions for each section and subsection cited
• list the page number(s) where each statute, section and subsection is cited. (If possible, provide this information, but this is not essential for undergraduate students)
• List statutory instruments after the statutes
• If you’ve cited many statutory instruments, list these in a separate table
• Order alphabetically according to the first significant word in the statute’s title
• Separate by jurisdiction if needed.

Example:

Additional tables (eg international treaties, UN documents) should follow the table of legislation.

Bibliographies

The School of Law suggests all undergraduate students include a bibliography in essays.

If you are a postgraduate student, follow the guidance in the OSCOLA 5th edition. If you are unsure of the requirements, speak to your module tutor or supervisor.

Formatting bibliographies

Format the references in your bibliography in the same way as your footnotes with these changes:

• do not include footnote numbers
• do not end bibliography entries with a full stop
• use initials instead of forenames
• place each author’s surname before their initials, with no comma between the surname and initials and a comma after the final initial
• order your bibliography alphabetically by surname
• list works by the same author chronologically. Rather than naming the author again, use a double em-dash in place of the repeated name
• unattributed works (works for which no author is identified) should be preceded by a double em-dash, and listed at the beginning of the bibliography, ordered alphabetically by title.

Example:

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Using OSCOLA: citing primary sources

The format for citing a primary source in OSCOLA depends on the type of source and the legal system or body from which it comes. For example, different formats apply to UK cases and legislation, EU materials and international cases and treaties.

This section outlines how to cite the most used primary sources in OSCOLA.

UK cases

A case citation identifies the case and directs the reader to an authoritative version of the judgment.

An OSCOLA case citation includes:

• the case name
• the medium neutral citation (if available)
• the best available law report citation
• a pinpoint, when referring to a particular part of the judgment.

Anatomy of a case citation

Example footnote:

It contains:

• Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd — the case name;
• [2008] UKHL 13 — the medium neutral citation
• [2008] 1 AC 884 — the law report citation.

The case was the 13th judgment issued by the House of Lords in 2008. It was also reported in volume 1 of the 2008 Appeal Cases series, beginning on page 884.

Only the case name is italicised.

Case names in your writing

When you give a case name in your writing:

• italicise the case name
• place the footnote marker immediately after the case name
• do not repeat the case name in the footnote.

Example:

If the case name does not appear in your writing, include it in the footnote.

Medium neutral citations

A medium neutral citation identifies a judgment independently of any law report.

The House of Lords, Privy Council, Court of Appeal and Administrative Court began issuing judgments with medium neutral citations in 2001. The practice was extended to all divisions of the High Court in 2002 and subsequently to other courts and tribunals.

Format

A medium neutral citation contains:

• the year of the judgment in square brackets
• the court abbreviation
• the judgment number.

Example:

This is the medium neutral citation for the 34th judgment issued by the UK Supreme Court in 2012.

High Court neutral citations also include a division or jurisdiction identifier:

Rules

• include the medium neutral citation when the judgment has one
• do not use a retrospectively created neutral citation for a case decided before neutral citations were introduced
• if the judgment has been reported, follow the neutral citation with the best available law report citation
• if the judgment has not been reported, give the case name and neutral citation only.

A list of medium neutral citations appears in section 5.1 of the OSCOLA manual’s appendix.

Law report citations

A law report is a published report of a judgment. It will often include additional material such as a headnote summarising the facts and decision.

A law report citation generally contains:

• the year
• a volume number, where applicable
• the report abbreviation
• the first page of the report.

Choosing the best law report

For cases from England and Wales:

• use the ICLR’s Law Reports where available. These include the AC, Ch, Fam and KB or QB series
• if the case is not reported in the Law Reports, use the Weekly Law Reports (WLR) or the All England Law Reports (All ER)
• if the case is not reported in one of those general series, use an appropriate specialist report, such as the Family Law Reports (FLR).

Square and round brackets

The brackets around the year of a law report depend on whether the year is needed to locate the volume.

Square brackets

Use square brackets when the year is essential for locating the case because the report series is organised by year:

Example

Round brackets

Use round brackets when the report series has independently numbered volumes and the year is not needed to locate the volume:

Example:

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Choosing the correct citation format

The format depends on whether the case has a medium neutral citation and whether it has been reported.

Reported case with a neutral citation

General format

Case name [year] court number, [year] or (year) volume report abbreviation first page.

Example:

A comma separates the medium neutral citation from the law report citation.

Unreported case with a neutral citation

If the judgment has a medium neutral citation but has not been reported, give the case name followed by the neutral citation:

Reported case without a neutral citation

Cases decided before neutral citations were introduced will generally be cited using the law report and a court identifier:

General format

Case name [year] or (year) volume (where applicable) report abbreviation first page (court).

Example:

Unreported case without a neutral citation

For the less common situation in which a case has neither a neutral citation nor a law report citation, give the court and full date in brackets:

Court identifiers

When a case does not have a medium neutral citation, include the relevant court identifier in brackets after the law report citation, unless the case was decided before 1865.

Common identifiers include:

• House of Lords — HL
• Privy Council — PC
• Court of Appeal — CA
• Chancery Division — Ch D
• Family Division — Fam
• Queen’s Bench Division — QBD
• King’s Bench Division — KBD
• Commercial Court — Com Ct

The identifier appears after the law report citation and before any pinpoint:

Do not add a separate court identifier to a neutral citation that already identifies the court. However, High Court neutral citations include the relevant division or jurisdiction in brackets:

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Pinpointing cases

A pinpoint directs the reader to a particular part of a judgment. Include one when:

• quoting directly
• referring to a particular passage
• relying on a specific part of the court’s reasoning.

A pinpoint is not normally required when referring to the case as a whole.

Numbered paragraphs

Where a judgment has numbered paragraphs, use the relevant paragraph number in square brackets. Put it at the end of the citation.

One paragraph

Multiple paragraphs

Give each paragraph number in its own set of square brackets and separate the numbers with commas:

Paragraph ranges

Join the first and last paragraph numbers with an en dash:

Do not shorten paragraph ranges. For example, write [120]–[123], not [120]–[23].

Page numbers

If the judgment does not have numbered paragraphs, pinpoint the relevant page instead. Do not use square brackets or write p or pp.

Here, 66 is the first page of the report and 86 is the pinpoint.

For an unreported judgment without numbered paragraphs, give the relevant page of the judgment:

Naming judges

It is generally unnecessary to identify the judge whose judgment is being discussed. Include the judge’s name when it is necessary for clarity.

See section 2.1.7 of the OSCOLA manual for the appropriate forms of judicial titles.

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Further rules for case names

Multiple parties

Where there are multiple claimants or defendants, name only the first claimant and first defendant.

For example:

Individuals and organisations

• use surnames only for individuals
• if a party is identified only by an initial, retain the initial
• retain corporate identifiers such as Ltd, plc where they form part of the reported case name
• do not place a full stop after v.

Abbreviations

Use OSCOLA’s standard abbreviations to keep case names concise. For example:

For example:

Use:

• Re for In re or In the matter of.
• ex p for ex parte.

For a fuller list of abbreviations used in case names, see section 5.2.4 of the OSCOLA manual appendix. The rules for citing cases appear principally in sections 2.1.1–2.1.7 of the OSCOLA manual.

UK primary legislation

If all necessary information about a piece of legislation is included in your text, you do not need to provide a footnote.

Acts of Parliament (statutes)

Give the Act’s short title, followed by the year, capitalising all major words.

Examples

If you cite legislation from more than one UK jurisdiction, make the jurisdiction clear using the form prescribed by OSCOLA.

Parts of statutes

Acts are divided into parts, sections and subsections, which you can refer to using these abbreviations:

Part of Statute	Abbreviation	Plural Abbreviation
part	pt	pts
section	s	ss
subsection	sub-s	sub-ss
paragraph	para	paras
subparagraph	subpara	subparas
schedule	sch	schs

 

Using full forms vs. abbreviations

• use the full word at the start of a sentence or when referring to a part without repeating the Act name
  eg ‘Section 2 states…’ not ‘S 2 states…’
• in other cases, you may use either the full form or abbreviation in your writing
• in footnotes, always use abbreviations. Give them after the year, following a comma.

Example

Citing sections of parts of statutes

When citing a part within another part of the statute:

• use the full form or abbreviation for the first (or largest) part only
• then give the number or letter of each smaller part in brackets.

Example

Paragraph c, subsection 1 of section 2 of the Online Safety Act would be listed as follows:

Bills

When citing a bill as a whole, use the following formats.

To cite parts of a bill, follow the same rules as for parts of statutes, using the abbreviation ‘cl’ (or ‘cls’) for clauses.

House of commons bills

General format

Title HC Bill (parliamentary session) [running number].

Examples

House of lords bills

General format

Title HL Bill (parliamentary session) running number

Example

Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland

See the OSCOLA guide for guidance on Wales (section 2.4.6), Scotland (section 2.4.7) and Northern Ireland (section 2.4.8).

UK secondary legislation

Statutory instruments

General format

Name Year, SI Number.

Example:

Parts of statutory instruments

Parts of statutory instruments are cited in the same way as parts of statutes, using the relevant abbreviation:

• Regulation/regulations – reg/regs
• Rule/rules – r/rr
• Article/articles – art/arts

Example:

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

See sections 2.5.4–2.5.6 of the OSCOLA manual for legislation from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Rules of court

Do not include the year or SI number when citing the following rules of court:

• Civil Procedure Rules (CPR)
• Rules of the Supreme Court (RSC)
• County Court Rules (CCR)
• Criminal Procedure Rules (CrPR)
• Family Procedure Rules (FPR)

Examples:

All other court rules should be cited as full statutory instruments.

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Using OSCOLA: citing secondary sources

The format for citing secondary sources in OSCOLA depends on the type of source (eg book, journal article, report). This outlines how to cite the most used secondary sources.

General rules for citing secondary sources:

• list up to three authors. For works with more than three authors, give the first author’s name followed by ‘and others’
• if no individual author is named, use the publishing organisation as the author
• capitalise all major words in titles
• cite online sources as if they were print sources, unless they are only available online. In those cases, include the DOI or URL and date accessed.

Books

Use this format for books written entirely by the same author(s). If the chapters are written by different authors, cite the specific chapter instead (see ‘Book Chapters’).

General format

Author(s), Book Title in italics (Publisher Year).

Example

Variations

Books That Are Not the First Edition

If the book is not a first edition, include the edition name/number in the brackets before the publisher using ‘edn’:

Books with Volumes

When citing books with more than one volume, first, check whether the publication details, (such as the publisher and year) are the same for every volume.

If the publication details vary between volumes, place the volume number immediately after the title and before the publication details:

If the publication details are the same for every volume, place the volume number after the publication details. Add any pinpoint page after the volume number:

If paragraph numbering continues consecutively across all the volumes, omit the volume number and cite the relevant paragraph:

Book chapters

Use this format when citing a chapter from an edited book where different chapters have different authors.

If the book is written entirely by the same author, cite the full book (See ‘Books’).

General format

Author(s), ‘Title’ in Editor (ed), Book Title in italics (Publisher Year).

Example

Variations

Multiple editors

List up to three editors followed by the abbreviation (eds):

If there are more than three editors, list the first followed by ‘and others’:

Encyclopedia and dictionary entries

Cite entries in encyclopedias and dictionaries in a similar way to book chapters, with some differences:

• use the entry name instead of a chapter title
• do not include editors
• include the edition if not the first
• do not include the publisher when citing encyclopedias.

Example:

When citing a dictionary entry:

• you do not need to include a pinpoint
• omit the author if individual entries are not given named authors
• include the publisher if available.

Example:

For online-only dictionaries and encyclopedias, give the web address in angle brackets followed by the date accessed at the end of your footnote.

Example:

Journal articles

The School of Law suggests undergraduate students give the journal’s full title rather than using abbreviations.

If you are a postgraduate student, follow the guidance in the OSCOLA 5th edition. If you are unsure of the requirements, speak to your module tutor or supervisor.

General format

Author(s), ‘Title’ (Year) Volume number Journal name/abbreviation First page of article.

Example

Variations

Journals without Volumes

If the journal does not have volume numbers, give the year in square brackets:

Case notes

Cite case notes with titles the same as you would a journal article.

If the case note has no title, give the name of the case in italics instead and add ‘(note)’ to the end of your footnote:

Websites and blogs

When citing a website, give the DOI or a persistent link (eg perma.cc) if possible. In these cases, you do not need to include an access date. If providing a standard URL, provide the date of access.

General format

Author(s), ‘Title of Webpage/Blogpost’ (Website name in italics, Day Month Year) <URL> accessed day month year.

Examples

Variations

Missing information (No author/date)

• if the full date of publication is not given, provide as much information as you can (eg year only)
• f there’s no publication date, omit this and just include the date accessed
• if no individual author is listed, list the organisation responsible for the website as the author
• if no author or organisation is listed, omit the author and begin your footnote with the title.

Examples

Newspaper articles

General format

Author(s), ‘Article Title’ Name of Newspaper in italics (Day Month Year) <URL> accessed day month year.

Example

Official and parliamentary materials

Hansard and parliamentary reports

How you reference a Hansard report of a parliamentary debate depends on the series (i.e. which House the debates took place in): the House of Commons, the House of Lords or in the Public Bill committees of the House of Commons.

House of Commons – general format:

HC Deb Day Month Year, volume number, column number(s).

Examples:

House of Lords – general format:

HL Deb Day Month Year, volume number, column number(s)

Examples:

The Public Bill committees of the House of Commons – general format:

Title of Bill Deb Day Month Year, column number(s).

Example:

Law commission reports

General format

Law Commission, Title (Law Com Number, Year).

Examples

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Using OSCOLA: international sources

Treaties

General rules

Titles and naming parties

• Include the full title of the treaty but omit any procedural information (eg the place or date of conclusion).
• If the treaty has more than three signatories, or if the parties are already listed in the treaty title, do not name the parties separately.
• When naming multiple parties, separate their names with an en-dash.

Dates

• For multilateral treaties opened for signature generally, give the date on which the treaty was opened for signature.
• For treaties signed by all parties and not open for signature, give the date of adoption.
• For all treaties, include the date the treaty entered into force. If the treaty has not yet entered into force, state this.

Citing treaty series

When a treaty appears in multiple series, cite them in the following order of preference:

1. United Nations Treaty Series (UNTS)
2. League of Nations Treaty Series (LNTS)
3. Consolidated Treaty Series (CTS)
4. An official treaty series of a State party (eg UK Treaty Series (UKTS))
5. Another international treaty series (eg Pacific Islands Treaty Series (PITS), European Treaty Series (ETS), Organization of American States Treaty Series (OAS Treaty Series), or British and Foreign State Papers (BFSP))

Other formatting differences

Formatting depends on how the series is organised:

• If organised by year, give the year in square brackets.
• If organised by volume, give the volume number (without brackets) in place of the year.
• If organised by order of deposit, give the sequential order number after the series (no year required).

General format

Treaty Title (Parties’ Names) (adopted/opened for signature Day Month Year, entered into force Day Month Year) Volume Number OR [Year] Abbreviation for Treaty Series First page OR Treaty Number.

Examples

UN documents

When citing UN documents:

• Use standard abbreviations for well-known UN bodies, for example:
  • UNGA for United Nations General Assembly
  • ILC for International Law Commission

• For lesser-known or specialised UN bodies, give the full name.
• Use the following abbreviated terms:
  • Res for Resolution
  • Doc for Document
  • No for Number

• When citing a resolution, include the date the resolution was adopted, not the publication date (these may differ).
• For repeated citations of the same UN document:
  • Provide a short title at the end of the first citation
  • Use this short title in subsequent references

General format

Body, ‘Title’ or Resolution number (day month year) unique identifying information.

Examples

UN Charter

When citing the UN Charter:

• Give ‘UN Charter’ and the article number.
• Use the abbreviation ‘art’ for article.
• Do not include a treaty series or conference proceedings.

General format

UN Charter, article number.

Examples

UN yearbooks

When citing UN Yearbooks:

• If the yearbook is organised by year, give the year in square brackets.
• If the yearbook is organised by volume, give the year in round brackets.
• Use abbreviations when naming the yearbook eg UN for ‘United Nations’, YB for ‘Yearbook’.

General format

Body/author, ‘Title of Section’ [year] or (year) volume number(issue/part) Name of Yearbook First page.

Examples

International cases and decisions

International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Permanent Court of Justice (PCIJ)

General format

Case name (Parties’ names) (Phase, if applicable) (Type of decision) [Year] Report information First page.

Examples

Decisions in Advisory Opinion Proceedings

Give ‘Advisory Opinion’ rather than party names in the brackets after the case name.

Example

International Criminal Court (ICC)

General format

Case name (Type of decision) Case/document number (Day Month Year).

Example

WTO and GATT decisions

Use this format when citing World Trade Organisation (WTO) or General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) reports, including Appellate Body reports and arbitral decisions.

General format

Case name (Document description) Body Document Number (circulated Day Month Year, adopted Day Month Year).

Example

European Union (EU)

EU legislation

Cite EU legislation from the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ), following these rules:

• After the year, include ‘OJ’ and the series identifier:
  • L for Legislation
  • C for Information and notices
  • S for Invitations to tender for public contracts

• The series letter is followed immediately by the issue number, with no space (eg L129, not L 129), followed by the first page number.
• In the first citation, give the full name of the legislation. For subsequent citations, use a shortened title or, in footnotes, give the document type abbreviation (eg ‘Reg’ or ‘Dir’) and the document number.
• When pinpointing, use ‘art’ followed by the article number.

General format

Full legislation title [year] OJ series Issue number/First page.

Examples

Legal acts published from 1 October 2023

For legal acts published from 1 October 2023, give the publication date after ‘OJ L’ instead of an issue number and first page.

Court of Justice of the EU or General Court cases

Cite cases from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) or the General Court (GC) using the European Case Law Identifier (ECLI).

The ECLI consists of:

• the code ‘EU’
• the court abbreviation
• the year of the decision
• the ordinal number of the decision.

General format

Case number Case name European Case Law Identifier.

Examples

European Court of Human Rights decisions

When citing decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR):

• If the case was heard by the Grand Chamber, add ‘[GC]’ after the case name, phase and decision or document type. Use ‘[Committee]’ for a judgment or decision by a three-judge Committee.
• Use ‘App No’ for one application number and ‘App Nos’ for more than one.
• Include the phase of the case if applicable.

General format

Case name (Phase) (Type of decision/document) [Chamber/Committee] ECtHR App No(s) (Day Month Year).

Examples

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Quick-reference appendix

Use these tables as a quick reference guide only after you have read the fuller rule in the relevant section. They illustrate the most common citation formats and examples only and do not cover every possible variation or exception.

Common citation patterns

Source	Pattern	Adaptable example
UK case	Case name [year] court number, [year] report abbreviation first page.	Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] 1 AC 884.
Act	Short title Year, provision.	Online Safety Act 2023, s 2.
Book	Author, Title (edition, Publisher Year) pinpoint.	Andrew Burrows, The Law of Restitution (3rd edn, Oxford University Press 2011) 77–79.
Journal article	Author, ‘Title’ (Year) Volume Journal First page, pinpoint.	Gareth Downing, ‘The Origin of Asymmetric Information: Revisiting the Rationale for Regulation’ (2024) 44 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 28, 30.
Website	Author, ‘Title’ (Site, Date) <URL> accessed Date.	Jonathan Friend, ‘Dark Web Data Leak: Firm Fined Following Breach’ (The Law Society, 28 November 2025) <https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/ethics/dark-web-data-leak> accessed 12 May 2026.

Common abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning or use
v	versus; do not add a full stop
s / ss	section / sections
para / paras	paragraph / paragraphs
art / arts	article / articles
reg / regs	regulation / regulations
SI	Statutory Instrument
HC Deb / HL Deb	House of Commons / House of Lords debate
App No / App Nos	ECtHR application number / numbers