Law: finding UK law reports (case law) and periodical articles

The main law collection is located on the second floor of the Brynmor Jones Library. Some items, however, are kept in the Short Loan collection. Use the Library catalogue to check locations.

Contents

Finding law reports (case law)

This Factsheet aims to provide a brief introduction to Library holdings of law reports, and to suggest sources which can be used to trace cases by name, subject etc. It does not pretend to be comprehensive.

'Law reports' are reports of decisions made in the courts. Only about 1% of cases are published. A case will not be reported (except in the popular press) simply because it involves famous people or is particularly horrifying: it must establish some legal precedent, by extending, modifying or clarifying the law.

Law reports appear in the serious press (eg The Times, The Independent) and also in specialist journals, many of which have the phrase 'law reports' in their titles. Some, such as the All England Law Reports and Commonwealth Law Reports, cover cases of general interest, while others are subject-specific e.g. Environmental Law Reports, Industrial Relations Law Reports.

Citations

In the citation:

 Draper v. Trist, (1939) 3 All E.R. 513 (C.A.)

the various elements have the following meanings:

Draper v. Trist = names of the parties
(1939) = year of publication
3 = volume number of the appropriate publication
All E.R. = All England Law Reports
513 = page on which the text starts
(C.A.) = the court in which the case was heard - here, the Court of Appeal

Abbreviations

The following contain guides to abbreviations:

  • Current Law Case Citator (KB 1 C92), Current Law Monthly Digest (KB 1 C9), Current Law Yearbook (KB 1 C9)

Index to legal citations and abbreviations (K 20 R1)

Lawlinks Legal Abbreviations library.ukc.ac.uk/library/info/subjectg/law/abbrev.htm

Law reports held by the Library

The generic name 'Law Reports' is used to describe a number of individual titles. Details of some are given below; others can be traced via the Library catalogue (do a word search using 'law reports'). Copies of most law reports for the current year are kept on the second floor, on the shelves to the left as you step out of the lift. Exceptions are: All England Law Reports, which are kept in boxes after the last bound volume of each set at KB 100 A4, and Weekly Law Reports, where the current year's parts are shelved after the last bound volume at KB 100 W3.

  • All England Law Reports (KB 100 A4) A selection from early authorized reports 1558-1935, and 1936 onwards
  • The English Reports (KB 100 E5) This 178-volume set of reprints of pre-1865 law reports is shelved at KB 100 E5. The final two volumes are an index of cases, by reference to which the case of Parnell v. Hurley, 2 Coll.241, for instance, can easily be found reprinted on pages 716-719 of v.63 of the English Reports. If however you do not know the name of the case, but have only the reference Coll.241, the meaning of the abbreviation and the location of the case can be found from the chart to v.1-176 of the English Reports Reprint, shelved at KB 100 E5, after v.176 of the English Reports. A copy of the chart is displayed on the second floor of the Brynmor Jones library.
  • Law Journal Reports (KB 100 L36) 1826-1949, but 1826-1848 bound in one volume. Use the table of cases at the back of each volume, then make sure you turn to the correct page, for reports from different courts are numbered differently. From 1849 Law Journal Reports are bound in two parts. From 1849 to 1875 the titles of the two parts are: Cases in Chancery and Bankruptcy (later Chancery alone) and Cases at Common Law. Methods of citation: L.J.O.S.K.B., for example, means the King's Bench section of the old series (v.1-9, 1823-31) of the Law Journal Reports; L.J.Q.B. means the Queen's Bench section of the new series, v.1-118, 1832-1947.
  • The Law Reports (KB 100 L4 A2) The Library holds two series of these from 1865. They are shelved together, so that, for example, you will find English and Irish Appeal Cases 1866-1875 in seven volumes, followed immediately by a reprint of the same cases in five volumes.
  • Weekly Law Reports (KB 100 W3)

Finding a specific case

All England Law Reports (KB 100 A4). Use the 'Consolidated tables and index... volume 1', the first part of which lists cases alphabetically

  • Current Law Case Citators (KB 1 C92). Alphabetical listings of cases telling you where a summary of any particular case can be found in the Current Law Yearbook (KB 1 C9), and giving the locations of summaries of cases in which the finding has been applied, considered, followed in part, criticized and so on
  • Current Law Monthly Digest (KB 1 C9). The current year's unbound issues are shelved alphabetically with the Law Reports on the shelves to the left as you step out of the lift. Monthly issues are cumulated in the Current Law Yearbook, shelved at KB 1 C9. The index cumulates through the year, so start with the most recent issue
  • Current Legal Information (193.118.187.160 username = hulluniv, passsword = brymor) Gives access to the Current Law Case Citator. Searchable by keyword.
  • Law Reports Index (KB 100 L4 I3)
  • BAILII (www.bailii.org/). One-stop access to the most important UK case law on the web.

Finding cases about a subject
  • Current Law Monthly Digest (KB 1 C9) and Current Law Yearbook (KB 1 C9)
  • Current Legal Information (193.118.187.160 username = hulluniv, passsword = brymor) Gives access to the Current Law Case Citator. Searchable by keyword.
  • The Digest (KB 30 E5) provides summaries ('digests') of British, Commonwealth and European cases. Look in the latest annual index using appropriate keywords

Finding cases about a specific piece of legislation

Current Law Legislation Citator (KB 1 C93)

  • Current Legal Information (193.118.187.160 username = hulluniv, passsword = brymor) Gives access to the Current Law Case Citator. Searchable by keyword.

Finding summaries and commentaries

  • Current Law Monthly Digest (KB 1 C9). The current year's unbound issues are shelved alphabetically with the Law Reports on the shelves to the left as you step out of the lift. Monthly issues are cumulated in the Current Law Yearbook, shelved at KB 1 C9. The index cumulates through the year, so start with the most recent issue.
  • Current Legal Information (193.118.187.160 username = hulluniv, passsword = brymor) (Current Law and the Daily Law Reports Index).
  • The Digest (KB 30 E5) provides summaries ('digests') of British, Commonwealth and European cases. Look in the latest annual index using appropriate keywords

Finding periodical articles

  • Current Legal Information (193.118.187.160 username = hulluniv, passsword = brymor) includes an electronic version of Legal Journals Index (the paper copy is shelved at q K 18 L49).
  • Index to Legal Periodicals (K 18 I25) - has an American bias
  • Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (K 18 I38) - also an American publication

LAWLINKS www.ukc.ac.uk/library/lawlinks/

An annotated list of legal information web sites.