Decisions published in a law report series
For a law report series organised by volume number, use round brackets around the publication year. Where the volumes of a law report series are organised by year, use square brackets around the publication year.
Sometimes reports ordered by year include more than one volume each year. In this case add the volume number between the year and the report abbreviation. See Rule 2.2.1.
Footnotes
Footnote template [AGLC4 Rule 2.2]
Case Name (Year) Volume Law Report Series Abbreviation Starting Page, Pinpoint ('Short Title').
Case Name [year] Law Report Series Abbreviation Starting Page, Pinpoint ('Short Title').
Footnote examples
Theophanus v Herald & Weekly Times Ltd (1994) 182 CLR 104, 113 (‘Theophanus v HWT’).
Nydam v The Queen [1977] VR 430, 455 (‘Nydam’).
Subsequent references
Template [AGLC4 Rule 2.1.14]]
Short Title (n Original Footnote Number) Pinpoint.
Examples
Theophanus v HWT (n 22) 127.
Nydam (n 64) 473.
Bibliography
Bibliography template [AGLC4 Rule 1.13]
Case Name (Year) Volume Law Report Series Abbreviation Starting Page
Case Name [Year] Law Report Series Abbreviation, Starting Page
Bibliography examples
Theophanus v Herald & Weekly Times Ltd (1994) 182 CLR 104
Nydam v The Queen [1977] VR 430
Style notes for reported decisions
- If a reported case series is organised by volume (that is the volumes are numbered consecutively across years), the year in which the decision was handed down is placed in (round brackets).
- If a reported case series is organised by year ( that is no volume, or volume numbers re-start each year), the year of the volume is placed in [square brackets]. If more than one volume number is produced in a single year, the volume number should be included between the year and the report series abbreviation.
- The authorised version of the report should always be used where available. See AGLC4 Rule 2.2.2. The AGLC lists authorised report series in the appendix of the print version, or see the Authorised Law Reports guide.
- Only the first plaintiff and first defendant should be named. Do not include ‘& Ors’ (or similar) to indicate there are other parties. When parties are individual people, only use their surname. See AGLC4 Rule 2.1.1 for further guidance on parties’ names in cases.
- Where a report has both page and paragraph numbers, always use page numbers in the pinpoint reference. Paragraph numbers may be included in addition. See AGLC4 Rule 2.2.5.
- When citing judicial officers writing from a judgment, use their surname followed by the abbreviation of their judicial title, for example Kirby J.
- For a comprehensive listing of Legal Abbreviations in commonwealth jurisdictions, check the Cardiff index to legal abbreviations.
- The Monash University Library Legal Abbreviations is a great resource for both Australian and international law reports, law journals, legal organisations, courts.
For questions about using AGLC, email law-librarians@unimelb.edu.au