This section of the Legal Research Manual provides a brief introduction to English legal research. It is not meant to be exhaustive or comprehensive, but rather a starting point for Canadian researchers looking to research English law.
Researchers are highly recommended to seek other guidance on English legal research by consulting authoritative textbooks or research guides on the subject.
Although English law and UK law are often used interchangeably, UK law actually denotes three legal systems: English and Welsh law, Scots law, and Northern Ireland law.
This section of the Legal Research Manual focuses on English law because English law formed much of the foundation of Canadian law and can still be influential.
Some of the resources described in the following chapter can be accessed in the UK sections of Westlaw and Lexis. Use the dropdowns below to learn how to navigate to UK content on both services.