1. Finding Legal materials online
Presented by Bissy Ithack
14 & 15 August 2019

2. Outline Primary sources of law Singapore Case law The Case citation
UK Case law
Singapore Legislation
UK Legislation
Secondary sources of law
Law subject guides

3. Primary sources of law
Distinguish: Primary & Secondary sources of law

4. Primary sources of law
Primary sources of law: authoritative publications of law produced by law-making bodies. Primary sources: a. Legislation Statutes Subsidiary Legislation/ Statutory Instruments b. Case law Decisions of the courts Secondary sources: publications of scholarly analysis of law books Journals etc. This presentation focuses on finding primary sources of law

5. Singapore Case Law

6. Singapore Case Law
The principle law report series in Singapore is the Singapore Law Reports
Coverage of cases from 1965.
Print : K7599 SLR
Online: *LawNet
The Academy of Law has re-issued the Singapore
Law Reports from 1965 through 2009 with re-written headnotes for the reports from 1965–2002, and
re-edited judgment texts that conform to the SAL
house-style. This set of reports is called the Singapore Law Reports (Reissue). Both sets are equally
authoritative as each judgment reported in both
remains in substance, though not in form, the same.
However, note that there is a citation preference
order as between these law reports.
*LawNet access via NUS Faculty of Law

7. Order of Preference (From Highest to Lowest)
Singapore Case Law
Citation preference order
According to the Supreme Court Practice Directions part VIII ss 74(6),
the official series of the law report(s) should be cited in priority to
other citations. We have distilled the following order of preference
below:
Date of Case
Order of Preference (From Highest to Lowest)
2010-Present
Singapore Law Reports (2010-) (SLR Current Series)
Neutral Citation
Singapore Law Reports (Reissue) (SLR(R))
Singapore Law Reports ( ) (SLR )
Malayan Law Journal (MLJ)
Pre-1965
The applicable heritage law report

8. Singapore Case Law SLR SLR (Reissue)
Alrich Development Pte Ltd v Rafiq Jumabhoy
[1995] 2 SLR 401
Alrich Development Pte Ltd v Rafiq Jumabhoy
[1995] 2 SLR(R) 340
SLR
SLR (Reissue)

9. Singapore Case Law
The other law report series which is the major source of reported Singapore court decisions from 1932 to 1991 is the
Malayan Law Journal.
Call no : K7599 MLJ
Online: *LawNet &
Lexis Advance Singapore
*LawNet access via NUS Faculty of Law

10. II. Singapore Case Law Unreported Judgments
These are full text transcripts of written judgments as handed down in the
Subordinate Courts, the High Court and Court of Appeal. They are available
on LawNet database .
Earlier judgments are also available in print in the law library: Ref: K7599 CA (Court of Appeal, Civil Appeals)
K7599 CRA (Court of Appeal, Criminal Appeals)
K7599 DC (District Court)
K7599 J (High Court)
K7599 MC (Magistrates’ Court)
“Case Law & Decisions” of the Subordinate Courts and Supreme Court are also
available for free for the last 3 months in LawNet under its links to
Free Resources.

11. Case citations

12. Case Citation
A case citation is a reference to a legal case in the law reports
It generally includes the
Names of the parties to the case
year the decision of the court was delivered or published
volume number of the law report
abbreviation of the law report series
first page at which the case is reported.
Airtrust (Hong Kong) Ltd v PH Hydraulics & Engineering Pte Ltd [2016] 1 SLR 1060
A case citation is a reference to a case.

13. Case Citation Carriernet Global Ltd v Abkey Pte Ltd
Case citations: developed to enable users to cite to and find cases within a series of written books (“reporters”)
What happened when cases began to be placed online, for public use?
What would you need, not need, to find a case online?
Don’t need: book, page number
Do need: case name, year, court, case number (paragraph numbers – remember, no page numbers online)
= “Neutral Citation”: citation to cases published online; does not refer to version printed in a book
Carriernet Global Ltd v Abkey Pte Ltd
Reporter Citation: [2010] 3 SLR 454
Neutral Citation : [2010] SGHC 104
In Singapore, the Neutral Citation system was introduced in 2002

14. Case citation
The Neutral citation system was implemented by Supreme Court
Practice Direction no. 3 of 2002
The neutral citation includes
names of the parties to the case
Year of the court decision
jurisdiction/level of court
sequential number
paragraph number(s)
Court designators include
SGCA – Singapore Court of Appeal
SGHC – Singapore High Court
SGDC – Singapore District Court
SGMC – Singapore Magistrates’ Court
Public Prosecutor v Nguyen Tuong Van [2004] SGHC 54, [1]

15. Case citation Deciphering citations
Search an index to legal abbreviations to find out which law
report the abbreviation stands for.
1. Print Index:
Donald Raistrick, Index to Legal Citations and Abbreviations, 4th ed. (London:
Sweet & Maxwell, 2013).
Location: KB280 Rai 2013 (LW RBR; LW Reference Office; LW Reference1)
2. Online:
Law Reference Desk – Abbreviations/Citations
Librarian’s pick - Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations

16. Case citation Deciphering citations
Search Cardiff Index to find out which law report the abbreviation
stands for e.g. SLR

17. Case citation
Law Reference Desk

18. How to Find a case?
Step 1.
Find out what law report the abbreviation stands for by
checking an index to legal abbreviations
Step 2.
Search LINC for the specific law report to determine its
location in the library Or
Search relevant database to find the case

19. LawNet - Singapore Cases
Singapore Law Reports and unreported judgments are available through LawNet
LawNet (via NUS Law Resources)

20. LawNet database: Find cases and other materials
Singapore Law Reports
Unreported judgments
Malayan law journal (Singapore cases reported in the MLJ from )
Journal articles
Singapore Academy of Law journal
Singapore journal of legal studies
Legislation
Statutes
Parliamentary Debates

21. LawNet - Singapore Cases
Unreported Judgments are only available through LawNet.
Find case: Choo Tiong Hin v. Choo Hock Swee [1959] M.L.J. 67

22. LawNet - Singapore Cases

23. Singapore Case Law Discontinued series
Title
Abbreviation
Publication Date
Ref
Colony of Singapore Law Reports
(previously called
Singapore Law Reports)
SLR
(covers )
(covers )
K7599 SLR
Straits Settlements Law Reports
SSLR
(new series) (covers )
(old series) (covers )
K7596 SSLR
Federated Malay States Law Reports
FMSLR
(covers )
K7600 FMSLR
Straits Law Journal
SLJ
K7596 SLJ
Kyshe’s Reports Ky
(covers )
K7596 Ky
Straits Law Reports
SLR Leic
1877 (covers )
K7596 SLR
There are several discontinued series of law reports that contain older cases from the courts of Singapore, Malaya and Borneo.
A complete listing of these reports can be found on p.vii-viii of Mallal’s Digest: Consolidated Table of Cases 2015 under the section entitled “Reports and Publications and Their Abbreviations”. (Print: K Md)
Here is a reverse chronological list of a selection of old law reports:
See LibGuide - Historical Sources of Singapore Law: Cases

24. UK Case Law

25. UK case Law Modern Law Reports The Law Reports (1865-) Print K2022 4C
The official set of law reports published by the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales.
The 4 current series of the law reports are:
Title
Reports Decisions of
Print
Appeal Cases (AC)
House of Lords, Privy Council &
Court of Justice of the European
Communities
K2022 4C
Queen’s Bench (QB)
Queen’s Bench & Court of Appeal & ECJ on appeal from QB
K2022 2E
Family (Fam)
Family Division & Court of Appeal on appeal from Fam D
K2022 1C
Chancery
(Ch)
Chancery Division & Court of Appeal on appeal from Ch D
K2022 3B
Online : ICLR, Lexis Advance Singapore , Westlaw & LawNet

26. UK Case Law Modern Law Reports 2. The Weekly Law Reports (WLR) (1953-)
Timely, full text reports.
Print - Call no : K2020 WNR Online: ICLR
3. All England Law Reports (All ER) (1936-)
Timely, full text reports; contains editorial notes.
Print - Call no : K2020 AELR Online: Lexis Advance Singapore
4. Specialist series
Contain a selection of cases in a discrete practice area.
e.g. Lloyds Law Reports (maritime and commercial law)
Print - Call no : K2020 LLLR Online: i-law
5. Newspapers
Brief, edited reports.
e.g. The Times Law Reports
Print Call no: K2020 TR/ K2020 TLR
6. Unreported judgments
These are not available in print in the Law Library, but a selection are
available online.
Online access via LexisNexis Academic & BAILLI (free access)

27. UK Case law UK cases are accessible through the following databases:-
Lexis Advance Singapore
LawNet
ICLR
Westlaw
LexisNexis Academic

28. LawNet – UK cases LawNet (via NUS Law Resources)
Find case: Balfour v. Balfour [1919] 2 K.B. 571

29. LawNet – UK cases

30. LawNet – UK cases

31. Lexis Advance Singapore

32. Lexis Advance Singapore

33. Lexis Advance Singapore

34. ICLR Online
The official Law Reports published by Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for
England and Wales (ICLR) and the Weekly Law Reports are available through this
Database.

35. Westlaw
Browse or search for US materials (legislation, Cases, treatises, journals and
law reviews) in the home page
Select ‘International Materials’ to search for resources from other jurisdictions)

36. Westlaw
Search by name of parties or by citation

37. How can you get all the citations for a case?
How can you check to see if the citation you have is actually the correct case?
How can you find which database contains your case?

38. JustisOne
JustCite is incorporated into JustisOne database

39. JustisOne

40. JustisOne

41. Singapore Legislation

42. Singapore legislation
The 2 main sources of legislation in Singapore today are:
I. Statutes of the Republic of Singapore
(primary legislation)
Print: K
Online :Singapore Statutes Online
*LawNet & Singapore Egazette
II. Subsidiary Legislation of the
Republic of Singapore
(secondary legislation)
Print: K
Online: Singapore Statutes Online
*LawNet & Singapore Egazette
*LawNet access via NUS Faculty of Law

43. Singapore legislation
The Legislature, the law-making body in Singapore, is made up of
the President
the Parliament of Singapore.
A Bill becomes law when it is
passed by Parliament and
assented to by the President.
But an Act only comes into force on
a date determined by the Minister and
notified by a commencement Notification in the Gazette.
How Laws are made? -

44. Singapore Legislation
From Bill to Act:
Attorney-General’s Chambers
Drafting and Vetting
Government bill
Parliament
Introduction/
First Reading
Bill
Parliamentary debate
Second Reading
Bill
Parliamentary debate
Committee Stage
Committee of the
whole House
Bill
Parliamentary debate
Select Committee
Bill
Select Committee report
Third Reading
Bill
Parliamentary debate
Presidential Council for Minority Rights
Bill
Presidential Assent
Bill to Act
Government Printer
Gazetting
Act (comes into force on date determined by Minister in charge of Act and notified by a commencement Notification in the Gazette)

45. Singapore Legislation
The Legislative Process
From Bill to Act:
Bills Supplement
Print: K7499 SB
Online: Singapore Statutes Online, Singapore Egazette & *LawNet
Acts Supplement
Print: K7399 SA
Online: Singapore Statutes Online, Singapore Egazette & *LawNet
*LawNet access via NUS Faculty of Law

46. Singapore Legislation
The Legislative Process
From Bill to Act:
Parliamentary Debate
Print: J618 SLAD
Online: Parliament website
& *LawNet
Select Committee Reports
Print: K7524 …
Online: Parliament website
& *LawNet

47. Singapore Legislation
The Legislative Process
The Act and its amendments:
Consolidation of amendments
Consolidated Version of Act:
Online:
The Act
Amendments to Act
Rules made
pursuant to Act:
Singapore Subsidiary
Legislation
Print: K
Substantial amendments to Act: Revised Edition of Act
(authoritative version)
Print: K
Acts Supplement
E.g. 20 of 1998
Print: K7399 SA
Subsidiary Legislation
Supplement
E.g. S 404/2000
Print: K7449 SLS
Bill
Parliamentary debate/ Select committee report

48. IV. Singapore Legislation
The Act and its amendments:
Revised Editions of the Singapore Statutes
1955 Rev. Ed.
1970 Rev. Ed.
1985 Rev. Ed.

49. Singapore Legislation
E.g. Companies Act (Cap. 50, 2006 Rev. Ed. Sing.)
Title of Act and
Chapter No.
Previous Rev. Eds.
Original Act
1994 Rev. Ed. amended by:
Act Supplements &
Subsidiary Legislation
Supplements
Current Rev. Ed.
Date current Rev. Ed. came into effect

50. Singapore Legislation
Legislative History
E.g. Companies Act (Cap. 50, 2006 Rev. Ed. Sing.)
The Legislative History of the Companies Act is located
towards the back of the Act.
This is a useful research tool as it contains the list of Acts that amended the earlier editions of the Companies Act, together with information on related Parliamentary
Debates.

51. Singapore Legislation
Legislative History
E.g. Companies Act (Cap. 50, 2006 Rev. Ed. Sing.)
Things to note:
Changes to “Principal Act” (1994 Rev. Ed.) made by:
Amendment Act
Other amending Acts
Dates of Parliamentary
Debates
Dates of commencement
of Amendment & amending Acts

52. Singapore Legislation
History of the Acts
Period
Title
1823
Raffles Regulations (validity disputed)
1830
Penang Governor’s Regulations (validity of some disputed)
Bengal Regulations
Indian Acts
Straits Settlements Acts and Ordinances
Japanese Military Administration Proclamations, Legislative Enactments, etc. (all repealed by the British Military Administration after the war)
British Military Administration Proclamations
Colony of Singapore Acts and Ordinances
Colony of the State of Singapore Acts and Ordinances
Federation of Malaysia Acts of Parliament/
State of Singapore Acts of the Legislature
1965-
Statutes of the Republic of Singapore

53. Singapore Legislation
Singapore Statutes Online
Find a statute: Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act

54. Singapore Legislation

55. Singapore Legislation

56. UK Legislation

57. V. UK Legislation Introduction The United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland consists of 4 countries
forming 3 distinct jurisdictions, being
England and Wales; Scotland and
Northern Ireland.
Since 1999, Scotland and Northern Ireland have had legislative bodies capable of producing primary legislation for those regions. In Wales, the powers of the National Assembly are limited to producing only secondary legislation.

58. UK Legislation Introduction The 2 main sources of UK legislation are:
Acts of Parliament (primary legislation)
a. Public General Acts
b. Local and Personal Acts
II. Statutory Instruments (secondary legislation).

59. UK Legislation Where to find it Version
I. Acts of Parliament
Version
Notes
Location
Public General Acts.
Queen’s Printer copy
Individual Acts (selected statutes fr )
legislation.gov.uk:
Public General Acts …
Annual bound volumes.
1952-
*K2011 PG
*K2011 P
The Law Reports. Statutes
Reprint of the Public General Acts
*K2011 P CL Closed Stacks
Current Law Statutes Annotated
Contains annotations.
1966/67, 1973, 1979-
*KB3 CLSA
Halsbury’s Statutes of England and Wales (4th ed.)
Includes annotations
*K2016 Hal
UK Legislation
Includes the full, amended text of Acts currently in force, as well as legislation recently enacted but not yet in force
Lexis Singapore:
Access via NUS Libraries Portal
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library

60. II. Early English Statutes
UK Legislation
Where to find it
II. Early English Statutes
Version
Notes
Location
Statutes at Large
(generic title)
Includes Magna Carta
*K2011 LP
Statutes of the Realm
Includes charters from
*K2016 Sta
CL Closed Stacks
Online via HeinOnline
Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum
*K2015 Fir
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library

61. III. Statutory Instruments
UK Legislation
Where to find it
III. Statutory Instruments
Category
Notes
Location
Statutory Instruments
Print
Online
*K2012 SI
legislation.gov.uk:
Lexis Singapore:
Access via NUS Libraries Portal
Statutory Rules & Orders and Statutory Instruments Revised to December 31, 1948 *K
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library

62. IV. Bills (including Explanatory Notes)
UK Legislation
Where to find it
IV. Bills (including Explanatory Notes)
Version
Location
Public Bills Before Parliament.
2002- (online)
United Kingdom Parliament:
House of Commons Parliamentary Papers: Bills (print)
*K2009 GHCB CL Closed Stacks
Bills
(online)
U.K. Parliamentary Papers Access via NUS Libraries Portal

63. V. Parliamentary Debates: Official Report or Hansard
UK Legislation
Where to find it
V. Parliamentary Debates: Official Report or Hansard
Category
Location
House of Commons
Print:
Online: 1988-
*J301 H2C (CL Closed Stacks)
United Kingdom Parliament:
House of Lords
Print:
Online: 1995-
*J301 H2L (CL Closed Stacks)
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library

64. UK Legislation
Online access -

65. Secondary Sources

66. Secondary Sources Textbooks, casebooks etc. Legal encyclopaedias
Legal periodicals
Research literature. E.g. Theses
Reference works. E.g. Dictionaries,
directories, bibliographies, digests, citators,
indexes etc.

67. III. Secondary Sources Secondary sources of law: e.g. journal articles
Goh, Yihan. “The case for departing from the exclusionary rule against prior negotiations in the interpretation of contracts in Singapore” (2013) 25:1 SAcLJ 182.
Campbell, David. “Good Faith and the Ubiquity of the ‘Relational’ Contract” (2014) 77:3 Mod Law Rev 475.

68. Legal Periodicals Search by journal name in the library catalogue.
For E.g. Singapore Academy of Law journal

69. Textbooks Search by title, author or by keywords to find books through
library Catalogue
For E.g. Contract law in Singapore / Andrew B.L. Phang, Goh Yihan.

70. Law subject guides

71. If you have any queries please contact us
Thank you
If you have any queries please contact us