How to read legal citations in New Zealand
New Zealand citations are close to English and Australian ones, with a neutral citation for modern judgments.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Style guide: New Zealand Law Style Guide. Used by New Zealand courts, law schools and journals. It is close to OSCOLA and the AGLC.
Real citations, decoded
Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.
A case in the law reports Case
()
- Case name Peters v Davison
The parties. - Year in square brackets [1999]
The year of the volume. - Volume 2
Volume 2 for that year. - Series NZLR
New Zealand Law Reports. - First page 164
The page where the report begins. - Court CA
The court that decided it: Court of Appeal.
A modern case with a neutral citation Case
- Case name Ellis v R
R means the Crown. - Year [2022]
The year of the judgment. - Court NZSC
New Zealand Supreme Court. Other examples: NZCA (Court of Appeal) and NZHC (High Court). - Number 114
The running number of the judgment in that court for that year.
A statute Statute
,
- Short title and year Companies Act 1993
The Act's name and year. - Section s 131
Section 131, which requires directors to act in good faith and in the company's best interests.
Things to remember
- NZ legislation is published free on the official legislation site.
- The year in square brackets is part of the citation; round brackets mean the year is only extra information.
Where to find the text, free
To understand how courts and law fit together in New Zealand, read the New Zealand profile in the Legal Families Atlas.
Other legal systems
United StatesEngland and WalesIrelandCanadaAustraliaIndiaSouth AfricaGermanyFranceItalySpainNetherlandsJapanBrazilEuropean UnionEuropean Court of Human RightsInternational law
TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.
