This section of the Legal Research Manual highlights starting points for locating primary sources of law (legislation and case law) from foreign jurisdictions.
Researchers are encouraged to consult a research guide for the foreign jurisdiction(s) they are researching to learn about specific strategies and tools for finding primary law from that jurisdiction.
Foreign legislation is typically made available through a variety of sources like government websites, as well as free or proprietary legal research services. Each jurisdiction will have its own method for making its legislation publicly available.
Researchers should consult a research guide on their jurisdiction of focus to learn about specific resources for locating legislation from that particular jurisdiction. Both GlobaLex and the Guide to Law Online indicate government websites where foreign legislation can be found.
Legislation published on government websites is most likely to be presented in the country's official language, and not necessarily translated into English. Therefore, having a working knowledge of a country's official language may be required.
►See Access Points: Foreign Legislation on this page for non-government access points.
Cases may have varying degrees of authority depending on the country's legal system. Whereas cases are the highest authority in common law countries, they may have less authority in civil law jurisdictions. JuriGlobe - World Legal Systems provides information about the legal system(s) in force in various countries.
Cases from other countries may not be translated into English, and therefore having a working knowledge of the language spoken in the country can be very beneficial. JuriGlobe - World Legal Systems provides information on the official languages of different political entities around the world.
Determine where court decisions are published by looking up the country in GlobaLex's Foreign Law Research Guides. This source may tell you whether there are any English translations.
Judgements and decisions from foreign courts can typically be found on free and proprietary legal research services, or in open-access databases ran by the courts themselves.
►See Access Points: Foreign Case Law on this page for a list of potential resources.
