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Canadian Legal Research Manual

This reference work was created by the Lederman Law Library to support Queen’s students learning legal research skills.

Introduction to Foreign Law

Foreign law refers to the national law (also known as internal or domestic law) of another country.

For example, from the viewpoint of Canada, the laws of Japan, the United Kingdom, and Brazil are all "foreign law". A related concept is comparative law, which refers to the academic study of different jurisdictions' legal systems. 

The Law Library at Queen's provides access to certain subscription databases that contain legal materials from foreign jurisdictions. However, many resources can be found freely available online.

This section of the guide will help you start your research into the laws of other countries.

►For guidance on researching law from England or the United States, see the chapters on Researching English Law and Researching American Law.

Foreign & Comparative Law Research Guides

Resources