1. ‘All in One’ Legal Research Class
May 2017 Session
Patrick O'Mara – LPAB Librarian
University of Sydney Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library

2. Interpret all types of citations from your reading lists
Session Aims
Interpret all types of citations from your reading lists
Find cases, legislation and journal articles
Locate additional resources for legal research

3. Types of Material

4. Supplementary Materials
Via Subject Guide – LPAB Students
or LEC Web Campus > Course Materials > Law
Library Supplementary Materials
If source is available via a free web site you will be linked directly to that site
If source is available via a subscription database you will need to enter your Unikey
When in print mode, select ‘Documents and Markups’ setting to maintain highlighting of extracts.

5. Interpreting a case citation
Two main types of case citation
Law report citation
Medium neutral citation (court)
Swain v Waverley Municipal Council
(2005) 220 CLR 517 – law report
[2005] HCA 4 – medium neutral

6. Finding cases
Use the Library’s Legal Abbreviations Subject Guide to get the answers to these questions…
What is the abbreviation??
Is the case Australian or UK or other??
Is it a law report or medium neutral citation??
AND (most importantly)…
- Which database should I use to find my case??

7. George v Survery [2009] NSWSC 1348
Case citations
George v Survery [2009] NSWSC 1348
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists (Southern) Ltd [1953] 1 QB 401
Geyer v Downs (1977) 138 CLR 91

8. CaseBase and FirstPoint
Case Citators
CaseBase and FirstPoint
- To obtain extra information
about a case
- To find cases by subject

9. Basic Boolean Connectors
AND – combining concepts
Eg. murder and defences
OR – for similar concepts and synonyms
Eg. murder OR manslaughter
NOT (sometimes AND NOT) – leaving out concepts
Eg. Murder NOT provocation

10. Delegated Legislation Related Parliamentary materials
Bills
Statutes
Delegated Legislation
Related Parliamentary materials

11. Bills are a draft of a proposed statute.
Example:
Civil Liability Bill 2002 (NSW) cl 16

12. Steps for finding cases (cont)

13. Terms are interchangeable – refer to enactments of Parliament Example:
Acts / Statutes
Terms are interchangeable – refer
to enactments of Parliament
Example:
Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 5L(1)

14. Types of Acts
Two main types:
Principal Act:
An Act that deals comprehensively
with a given area of law.
Example:
Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW)

15. Types of Acts (cont)
Amending Act:
An Act that alters the operation of
an earlier Act by:
substituting or inserting words
omitting or repealing provisions
Example:
Civil Liability Amendment Act 2006 (NSW)

16. Delegated Legislation
Examples include:
regulations, rules, ordinances, by-laws
Laws made by a person or body to
whom Parliament has delegated
law-making authority.
Example:
Civil Liability Regulation 2014 (NSW)

17. Finding Acts and Delegated Legislation
Commonwealth Legislation
Federal Register of Legislation
AustLII
NSW Legislation
NSW Parliamentary Counsel’s Office

18. Types of Material

19. Books
Example:
Patrick Parkinson, Tradition and Change in Australian Law, (Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia, 5th ed, 2013).
Above citation conforms with Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 3rd edition (AGLC3).

20. 340.072094 Legal research in Australia
Books: Dewey for Law
An example:
340 Law (generally)
Legal research
Legal research in Australia

21. Finding a book on the shelf
Remember to deal with each part of the number separately then move on to the next

22. Journal articles
Example:
Anita Stuhmcke, ‘Privatisation and cooperation : what now for the Commonwealth Ombudsman?’ (2004) 11(2) Australian Journal of Administrative Law 101.
Above citation conforms with Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 3rd edition (AGLC3).

23. Finding Journal articles
When you already have a citation
‘Journal’ search on Library Catalogue.
Search title of journal NOT title of article
Searching for journal articles by subject
Subject Guide – LPAB Students > Law Databases (complete list) > Filter by Database Type > Journal articles, publications & papers
– eg. AGIS Plus Text (Australia) and LegalTrac (international)

24. Legal Dictionaries and Encyclopaedias
Go to:
Subject Guide – LPAB Students > Law Databases (complete list) > Filter by Database Type > Dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks
Two major legal encyclopaedias
Laws of Australia
Halsbury’s Laws of Australia

25. Basic Boolean Connectors
AND – combining concepts
Eg. murder and defences
OR – for similar concepts and synonyms
Eg. murder OR manslaughter
NOT (sometimes AND NOT) – leaving out concepts
Eg. Murder NOT provocation

26. Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
Interpreting a case
Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6

27. Case citations: the parties
Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6

28. Case citations: year of the judgement
Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6

29. Case citations: year of the publication
For law report citations with square brackets
Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6

30. Case citations: report details
Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6

31. Case citations: square and round brackets
Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682

32. Case citations: pinpoint citations
Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6

33. Case citations: medium neutral citations
Merritt v Merritt [1970] 2 All ER 760
Grey v Pearson (1857) 6 HL Cas 61
R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 at 682
Ayles v The Queen [2008] HCA 6

34. Medium Neutral Citation
Ugle v The Queen [2002] HCA 25 at [53]
Year
Court
Parties
Decision No.

35. More Law Report Citations
Waterhouse v Hickie
(1995) Aust Torts Reports ¶

36. R v Milat (1996) 87 A Crim R 446 OR: Milat (1996) 87 A Crim R 446
Criminal Cases
R v Milat (1996) 87 A Crim R 446
OR:
Milat (1996) 87 A Crim R 446

37. Commonwealth v Tasmania (The Tasmanian Dam Case) (1983) 158 CLR 1
Popular Names
Commonwealth v Tasmania
(The Tasmanian Dam Case)
(1983) 158 CLR 1

38. Basic Boolean Connectors
AND – combining concepts
Eg. murder and defences
OR – for similar concepts and synonyms
Eg. murder OR manslaughter
NOT (sometimes AND NOT) – leaving out concepts
Eg. Murder NOT provocation