How to read legal citations in England and Wales
English citations name the year, and whether the year is in square or round brackets tells you something. Since 2001 courts also give each judgment a 'neutral citation' that does not depend on any publisher.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Style guide: OSCOLA (Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities). The standard style in UK universities. Courts and publishers follow their own conventions, but the main elements are the same.
Real citations, decoded
Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.
A case in the law reports Case
()
- Case name Donoghue v Stevenson
The parties, with v and no full stop. Case names are in italics. - Year in square brackets [1932]
Square brackets mean the year is part of the citation: the volumes of this series are organised by year, and you need the year to find the volume. - Law report series AC
Appeal Cases, the series that reports decisions of the House of Lords (now the Supreme Court) and the Privy Council. - First page 562
The page where the report begins. - Court HL
The court that decided the case, when the series does not make it obvious. HL means House of Lords.
The Scottish report of the same case is cited as 1932 SC (HL) 31.
Full citation: Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 (HL)A modern case with a neutral citation Case
- Case name R (Miller) v Prime Minister
'R' stands for Regina or Rex (the Crown), and the name in brackets is the person who brought the judicial review. - Year [2019]
The year the judgment was given. - Court UKSC
United Kingdom Supreme Court. Other examples: EWCA Civ (Court of Appeal, Civil Division) and EWHC (High Court). - Number 41
The running number of the judgment in that court for that year.
A neutral citation is the same everywhere, in print or online, and lets you find the judgment free on BAILII or the court's website. A paragraph is cited in square brackets, for example [2019] UKSC 41 [50].
Full citation: R (Miller) v Prime Minister [2019] UKSC 41A statute Statute
,
- Short title and year Human Rights Act 1998
Statutes are named by their short title and the year they were passed, with no comma before the year. - Section s 6(1)
's' means section, and (1) is the subsection. 'ss' means sections. Parts and schedules are written 'pt' and 'sch'.
Statutory instruments are cited by title and number, for example the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, SI 2013/3134.
Full citation: Human Rights Act 1998, s 6(1)Things to remember
- Square brackets mean the year is needed to find the volume. Round brackets mean the year is only extra information.
- AC, QB, Ch and Fam are the main series of the Law Reports, and WLR and All ER are the other common ones.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own reports, such as SC, SLT and NI, and their own court names.
- Cases from the European courts and the Privy Council have their own conventions.
Where to find the text, free
- BAILII: free British and Irish case law and legislation
- legislation.gov.uk: the UK's official statute database
- The UK Supreme Court
To understand how courts and law fit together in England and Wales, read the England and Wales profile in the Legal Families Atlas.
Other legal systems
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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.
