Research Guides: Research Guide for CJCA Student Editors: National Laws

Canada

Citation

CASE CITATION ELEMENTS (NEUTRAL CITATION): Style of cause, | neutral citation | pinpoint.

EXAMPLE: Lochan v Binance Holdings Ltd, 2023 ONSC 6714.

CASE CITATION ELEMENTS (NO NEUTRAL CITATION): Style of cause, | CanLII citation | pinpoint | (jurisdiction | court).

EXAMPLE: National Gypsum Co v Northern Sales Ltd, 1963 CanLII 96 (SCC).

For further guidance, see McGill Guide Chapter 2 Legislation and Chapter 3 Jurisprudence OR the Law Library's legal citation guide chapters on Citing Cases and Citing Statutes.

Finding Tools

CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute)
Provides access to court judgments, tribunal decisions, statutes and regulations from all Canadian jurisdictions.
Lexis+
Access to case law, statutes, and many secondary sources
Westlaw Edge Canada
Access to case law, statutes, and many secondary sources.

United States

Citation

EXAMPLE: Lindo v NCL (Bahamas) Ltd, 652 F (3d) 1257 (11th Cir 2011).

For further guidance on citing legal materials from the United States, see McGill Guide Rule 7.4 United States. See also The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, 21st edition for additional guidance on United States legal citations.

Finding Tools

The following databases can help you locate American case law and legislation.

Detailed information about researching American law can also be found in the Law Library's Legal Research Manual.

Lexis+
Access legal materials from the United States by changing the jurisdiction selector in the search bar.
Westlaw Edge Canada - International Tab
Access legal materials from the United States by clicking the International tab, then "All Westlaw US".
United States Code
The online versions of the Code on this website are produced using the same database from which the Government Publishing Office (GPO) prints volumes of the United States Code.
US Reports
Contains full text reproductions of the bound volumes of the United States Reports, from cover through index, including all of the opinions, orders, and other materials issued for the Supreme Court’s 1991 Term and subsequent years.
Cornell Legal Information Institute (LII)
Publishes electronic versions of core materials from the United States in numerous areas of the law.

United Kingdom

Citation

For general rules, see the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA).

Finding Tools

The following databases can help you located cases and statutes from the United Kingdom.

Detailed information about researching English law - including older English cases and statutes - can be found in the Law Library's Legal Research Manual.

ICLR Online
This database includes the Law Reports, the Weekly Law Reports, Industrial Cases Reports, Business Law Reports, and the Public and Third Sector Reports.
Legislation.gov.uk
The official home of revised enacted UK legislation 1267 - present.
Westlaw Edge Canada - International Tab
Individual law students' accounts only.
Lexis+
Full text access to U.K. case law, including All ER Reprints and The Law Reports. Access UK materials by changing the jurisdiction in the search bar.

Other Countries

Citation

For guidance on citing legal documents from other countries, see McGill Guide Chapter 7 Foreign Sources.

Finding Tools

WorldLII
Includes over 270 databases from 48 jurisdictions in 20 countries around the world. Databases include case-law, legislation, treaties, law reform reports, law journals, and other materials.
GlobaLex
Each country guide contains a detailed description of the legal system and sources of legal information for that country. Published by the Hauser Global Law School Program at NYU School of Law
Library of Congress' Guides to Law
Each guide contains an annotated collection of links to free online legal materials and pertinent resources in the Library of Congress catalog, organized by jurisdiction.
Kluwer Arbitration (Queen's only)
Contains text of arbitration acts, relevant court decisions and legislation from countries around the world.