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• A Quick Guide to OSCOLA Referencing | Rules & Examples

A Quick Guide to OSCOLA Referencing | Rules & Examples

Published on 28 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 5 May 2022.

The Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) is a referencing style used by students and academics in law.

OSCOLA referencing places citations in footnotes, which are marked in the text with footnote numbers:

The judge referred to the precedent established by Caulfield v Baldwin . 1

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Table of contents

Citing sources with oscola footnotes, oscola referencing examples, oscola tables and bibliography.

A citation footnote appears whenever you quote from, paraphrase or otherwise refer to the content of a source in your text.

A footnote is marked in the text with a footnote number, which appears at the end of the relevant sentence or clause. The number is displayed in superscript (i.e. 1) and appears after any punctuation like a comma or full stop:

These footnotes contain full information on the source cited. The format in which you present this information varies according to the type of source; examples are presented in the following section. A footnote always ends with a full stop:

Standard abbreviations

To save space in OSCOLA citations, abbreviations are used for the names of various publications and legal bodies.

For example, ‘UKSC’ is the United Kingdom Supreme Court, and ‘Cr App R’ refers to the Criminal Appeal Reports.

A full, searchable index of these abbreviations can be found here .

Pinpointing

In OSCOLA referencing, referring to a specific page number within a source is called pinpointing. To pinpoint, simply include a page number at the end of your reference, in addition to any page numbers already included.

For example, in the following citation, the first number refers to the page on which the report begins , while the second number pinpoints the passage you’re referring to :

Where available, paragraph numbers should be used instead of page numbers. Only do this if paragraph numbers are explicitly used in the text. Paragraph numbers appear in square brackets and can be used for pinpointing in the same way as page numbers:

Note that if you’re pinpointing a judge’s comments within a case report, you include the name of the judge, and some special terms and abbreviations are used in the citation and in the text.

If the judge is a peer, refer to them as ‘Lord’, e.g. Lord Williams. If they are a Lord/Lady Justice, use ‘LJ’, e.g. Williams LJ. If neither of these is the case, use ‘J’ for judge, e.g. Williams J:

Cross-referencing repeated citations of the same source

OSCOLA uses a system of cross-referencing to save space when you repeatedly cite the same source. This means that for subsequent references of a source, you don’t have to repeat the full citation.

When you refer to the same source you have just referred to (i.e. when the previous footnote was also about that source), you can simply use ‘ibid’ (Latin for ‘in the same place’):

In this example, the second footnote also refers to Davis v Dignam, but to page 522 instead of page 519.

When the previous reference to the source was in an earlier footnote (i.e. when other citations appear in between), use the author’s last name or the title (shortened if it’s a longer title), followed by the number of the previous citation (in brackets and preceded by ‘n’), then the page number you’re pinpointing (if different than the first citation):

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OSCOLA provides formats for a variety of source types. The most common ones are covered below.

Case reports

When citing a case, you’ll usually begin with a neutral citation – a way of referring to the case that does not relate to a particular report – and then give the details of the report afterwards. If no neutral citation exists, as with cases before 2002, you can just begin with the report.

Additionally, note that the year (for the report) is displayed differently depending on whether it is essential to the citation. For reports where each year is also identified with a volume number, the year appears in normal brackets. For those where multiple volumes appear in one year, the year appears in square brackets.

• Case report with neutral citation
• Case report with no neutral citation

Acts of Parliament

Use a short version of the title if the full title is longer than three words. If necessary, refer to specific parts of an Act of Parliament using section, subsection and paragraph numbers.

Statutory instruments

Statutory instruments (SIs) are numbered consecutively throughout the year; it’s this number that appears at the end of the citation – the example below is the 149th SI of 2020.

House of Commons bills are cited slightly differently from House of Lords bills. You write ‘HC Bill’ or ‘HL Bill’ depending upon which house it is, and bill numbers for Commons bills appear in square brackets.

• House of Commons bill
• House of Lords bill

Hansard is the official transcript of parliamentary debates in the UK. As with bills, write ‘HC’ for the House of Commons and ‘HL’ for the House of Lords. ‘Deb’ is short for ‘debate’, ‘vol’ for volume, and ‘col’ for column.

Use the full name of the author(s) as written in the source. List the edition (abbreviated to ‘edn’) when it is stated on the title page. Note that OSCOLA recommends abbreviating ‘Oxford University Press’ to ‘OUP’; this is not the case with other publishers.

Certain older books are listed by OSCOLA as ‘works of authority’ and given special abbreviated citations. For example, the following is a citation of volume 3, page 75 of Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England :

OSCOLA provides a list of these abbreviations in their full guide , section 4.2.3.

Journal articles

As with case reports, square brackets are used for years in a journal citation if the year also identifies the volume; normal brackets are used when there are multiple volumes in a year.

Note that standard abbreviations are also used for journal names; here ‘MLR’ refers to Modern Law Review.

In a longer work, such as a thesis or dissertation , OSCOLA requires you to include tables listing any cases and legislation you cited, as well as a bibliography listing any secondary sources . For shorter essays, this is usually not necessary, but do check your institution’s guidelines.

The tables and bibliography appear at the end of your text. The table of cases comes first, followed by the table of legislation, and then the bibliography.

Sources are listed in alphabetical order within each table and in the bibliography.

Table of cases

Cases are written in a similar format here and in the main text; the only difference is the names of the parties involved are not italicised in the table of cases:

Table of legislation

The table of legislation includes all legal sources used other than cases – for example, bills, Acts of Parliament and SIs. Items in the table of legislation are listed in identical form to how they are cited in the text.

Bibliography

A bibliography lists all your secondary sources – that is, everything other than cases and legislation. For example, here you would list Hansard , any books and journal articles cited, and other sources such as blogs, social media and newspapers.

Bibliography entries differ from citations in terms of their presentation of the author’s name. Author names in the bibliography are inverted, and initials are used in place of the first name:

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Caulfield, J. (2022, May 05). A Quick Guide to OSCOLA Referencing | Rules & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 7 June 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/oscola/

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• OSCOLA Referencing – A complete guide

You’ve done it. You’ve extracted the key research, peppered your content with incisive observations, and you’ve just typed the last words of your Law essay conclusion.

And then… it happens. You remember that in all those pages of research, you forgot to reference the sources you used. If only you’d done it in the first place!

Knowing how to cite sources for assignments is a hugely important skill. Even if you’re still at school, learning how to reference now means you won’t get caught out at university.

If you study Law at university, you’ll use the OSCOLA referencing system. This is the Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. We’ve created a comprehensive guide on exactly what OSCLA is, and how to use it.

What is OSCOLA referencing?

OSCOLA is a footnote referencing style. That means that you add small, superscript numbers (for example, 1,2,3 ) to the sources in your text, which connect to footnotes at the bottom of your page.

You may also have to include a list of tables of cases, legislation and other primary sources at the start of your essay, and a bibliography of second sources at the end. See page 10-11 of the 4th edition of OCSCOLA.

Let’s look at the OSCOLA system in detail, and how you can cite a wide range of legal sources. Our comprehensive guide refers to the 4th edition of OSCOLA produced by the University of Oxford.

Primary Sources

Case citations with neutral citations.

An example of a typical case citation with a neutral citation is:

Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] 1 AC 884

The example above shows that this is a case involving Corr and IBC Vehicles Ltd. It was the thirteenth judgement issued by the House of Lords (UKHL) in 2008. It also indicates that a report of the judgement can be found in volume 1 of the series of the Law Reports called the Appeal Cases , beginning at page 884.

Case citations without neutral citations

An example of a typical case citation without a neutral citation is:

Page vs Smith [1996] AC 155 (HL).

When the year is used to identify the law report volume, you should always put it in square brackets. If the relevant law report series was also issued in more than one volume in that particular year, give it a volume number.

When you don’t need to use the year to identify the law report volume, give the year of judgement (not publication) in round brackets.

Where there are multiple parties in cases, you should name only the first claimant and the first defendant. Where cases concern only individuals, leave out forenames and initials. You should abbreviate common words and phrases, for example:

• BC for Borough Council
• Co for Company
• DPP for Director of Public Prosecutions.

When you want to refer to something, use Re instead of, for example, In re or in the matter of. You should use Re the Domestic Abuse Act 2017 rather than In the matter of the Domestic Abuse act 2017.

(See our ‘abbreviations’ section below for further guidance).

Short forms of case names

You should give the name of the case in full when you first mention it in the text or footnotes. After that, you can shorten it.

For example, ‘in Glebe Motors plc v Dixon-Greene’ can be shortened to ‘in the Glebe Motors case’ or ‘in Glebe Motors’. If you do shorten names this way, you should always choose the name which comes first in the full name of the case – in this case Glebe Motors, rather than Dixon-Greene.

Law Reports

A law report is a published report on a judgement. A law report includes features such as a headnote summarising the facts of a case and judgement, and lists of cases considered.

In England and Wales, there are no official law reports of any kind, but the Law Report series by the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting are considered the most authoritative.

If a case is reported in the Law Reports you should cite it in preference to any other report. If you can’t find a judgement in the Law Reports , you should cite the Weekly Law Reports or the All England Law Reports.

If you can’t find a judgement in one of these general series you should refer to a specialist series of law reports such as the Family Law Reports.

When citing courts, indicate the court in brackets after the first page of the report, and before the pinpoint if there is one. A pinpoint is a reference to a particular paragraph of a judgement or page of a report.

Use HL for the House of Lords, CA for the Court of Appeal, QB, CH and F for the division of the High Court, and Com Ct for the Commercial Court within the Queen’s Bench Division.

If you’re citing a case before 1865, it doesn’t require the court. Neither do citations of cases with a neutral citation.

Judges’ names

When you make a reference to a judge in a case, use the judge’s surname followed by the conventional abbreviation identifying their judicial office. You do not need to use ‘the Honourable’.

A High Court judge should be called, for example, ‘Mr Justice Brown’, or, if a woman (and regardless of whether she is married) ‘Mrs Justice Smith). You should abbreviate both as ‘Smith J’.

A House of Lords judge (or ‘Law Lord’) is called ‘Lord Brown’ or ‘Lady Brown’, depending on gender.

The President of the Supreme Court should be abbreviated as, for example, ‘Lord Brown P’; the Deputy President as ‘Lord Brown DP’.

The Lord Chancellor (now no longer a judge) should be abbreviated as ‘Lord Brown LC’, the Lord Chief Justice as ‘Lord Brown CJ’, and the Master of the Rolls as 20 ‘Lord Brown MR’.

The Chancellor of the High Court should be abbreviated as ‘Sir John Brown C’, and Presidents of the Queen’s Bench Division and Family Division as ‘Sir Brown P’.

UK primary legislation

Names of Statutes

You should cite an Act by its short title and year in roman, using capitals for the major words. Don’t put a comma before the year. For example:

Act of Supremacy 1558

Shipping and Trading Interests (Protection) Act 1995.

Don’t use popular titles of Acts, for example, ‘Lord Campbell’s Act’. If you are referring to a particular Act a number of times in the same place, you can provide an abbreviated form of the title in the footnotes, as long as you let your reader know in advance. So, the Children Act 1989 becomes CA 1989 (not just CA).

Parts of statues

Statues are divided into parts, sections, subsections, paragraphs and subparagraphs. The relevant abbrevations are:

part / parts to pt/ pts

section / sections to s / ss

subsection / subsections to sub-s/ sub-ss

paragraph/paragraphs to para/paras

subparagraph / subparagraphs to subpara/subparas

schedule / schedules to sch/schs

Older Statutes

For older statutes, you can give the regnal year and chapter number. For example:

Crown Debts Act 1801 (41 Geo 3 c 90)

You can see from this example that the information in brackets shows that this Act was given royal assent in the forty-first year of the reign of George III.

Explanatory notes to statutes

When citing explanatory notes to statutes, precede the name of the statue with ‘Explanatory notes to the…’. For example,

Explanatory Notes to the Charities Act 2006, para 15.

An example of how to cite a Bill is:

Consolidated Fund HC Bill (2008-09).

You can see that the Bill is cited by its title, the House in which it originated (here, House of Commons), and with the parliamentary session in brackets (here, 2008-09).

UK Secondary Legislation

Statutory Instruments

Statutory instruments (orders, regulations or rules) are numbered consecutively throughout the year. The year combines with the serial number to make an SI number that follows the abbreviations ‘SI’, which we use to identify the legislation.

When you cite a statutory instrument, give the name, year and (after a comma) the SI number. For example:

Penalties for Disorderly Behaviour (Amendment of Minimum Age) Order 2004, SI 2004/3166

Parts of statutory instruments

The rules for referring to parts of statutory instruments are the same as those referring to parts of statues. Use the following abbreviations:

• regulation / regulations to reg/regs
• rule/rules to r/rr
• article/articles to art/arts

European Union legal sources

Official notices of the EU are in the Official Journal of the European Communities ( which is abbreviated to OJ). The OJ citation should be: year, OJ series, number / page. The letter ‘L’ refers to the legislation series.

EU legislation

When you cite EU treaties and protocols, give the title of the legislation, followed by the year of publication, the OK series and the issue and page numbers. For example:

Protocol to the Agreement on the Member States that do not fully apply to the Schengen acquis – Join Declarations [2007] OJ Li129/35.

You should cite Regulations, Directives, Decisions, Recommendations and Opinions by giving the legislation type, number and title, followed by publication details in the OJ. For example:

Council Directive 2002/60/EC of 27 June 2002 laying down specific provisions for the control of African swine fever and amending Directive 92/119/EEC as regards Teschen disease and African swine fever [2002] OJ L192/27

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)

For judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, you should cite either the offical reports, the Reports of Judgements and Decisions (ECHR) or the European Human Rights Reports (EHRR). Be aware of the difference before and after 1996. Before 1996, the offocial reports were known and Series A and numbered consecutively. From 2001, case numbers were used instead of page numbers. For example,

Johnston v Ireland (1986) Series A no 122

Osman v UK ECHR 1998 – VIII 3124

Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECtHR, 20 July 2004).

Omojudi v UK (2009) EHRR 10

Secondary Sources

You should cite all publications with an ISBN as if they were books, whether you read them online or in hard copy. Older books do not have ISBNs, but you should cite them as books even if you read them online.

Authored Books

You should cite the author’s name first, followed by a comma, and then the title of the book in italics. You should then follow the title with publication information in brackets. You don’t need to give the place of publication. For example:

Tom Bingham, The Rule of Law (Alan Lane 2010).

If the book has more than one volume, you should follow the volume number with the publication details. For example:

Christian von Bar, The Common European Law of Torts, vol 2 (CH Beck 2000), para 76.

Edited and Translated Books

If there is no author, cite the editor or translator as an author, adding in brackets after their name. For example ‘(ed)’ or ‘(tr)’. If there is more than one editor or translator, put ‘(eds)’ or (trs)

Hard copy journals

When you cite hard copy journal articles, give the author’s name first, followed by a comma. Then give the title of the article within single quotation marks, and the publication information as follows:

year of publication (in square brackets if it identifies the volume, in round brackets if there is a separate volume number).

• the volume number if there is one
• the name of the journal, in full or abbreviated form, with no full stops
• the first page of the article.

For example:

Paul Craig, “Theory, “Pure Theory” and Values in Public Law” [2005] PL 440.

Refence case notes with titles as if they were journal articles.

If there is no title, use the name of the case in italics instead, and put ‘note’ at the end of the citation.

Online journals

With online journals that have been published electronically, give publication details the same way you would for hard copy journal articles.

If online journals lack some of the publication elements for OSCOLA, follow the citation advice of the online journal. Remove full stops to comply with OSCOLA.

Working papers

You should cite working papers the same way as electronic journal articles. Seeing as the content of working papers are subject to change, make sure you put the date of access. For example:

Graham Greenleaf, ‘The Global Development of Free Access to Legal Information’ (2010) 1(1) EJLT accessed 27 July 2010

Other Secondary Sources

Please see the 4th edition of OSCOLA for comprehensive details on how to cite other secondary sources such as:

• Parliamentary reports
• Command papers
• Law commission reports and documents
• Conference papers
• Websites and blogs
• Newspaper articles

We hope you’ve found our complete guide to OSCOLA referencing useful. You can also use the OSCOLA Quick Reference Guide for ease when referencing.

Q. How do I reference a House of Commons Briefing paper (OSCOLA)?

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Answered By: Claire Mazer Last Updated: 16 Oct, 2023     Views: 8192

See the example used here:  Shale gas and fracking (parliament.uk)

Use the pattern described at OSCOLA s.3.4 Other Secondary Sources: author, | ‘title’ | (additional information, | publisher | year) also adding: <URL link> accessed date month year.

The author and title are immediately clear from the document. In the centre of the citation you have (additional information, | publisher | year) so use the following information: (Briefing Paper No CBP 6073, House of Commons Library 31 March 2020). The link to the paper should be non-live, i.e. just text as follows in this example: < https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06073/SN06073.pdf  >. The date of access is when you accessed the briefing paper, and uses a specific date format, for example: 16 October 2023. Avoid using th after 16 (as in 16 th  ). The month should be provided in full (October), not Oct or 16/10/23. The year should also be provided in full (2023).

Footnote:  Sara Priestley, 'Shale gas and fracking'  (Briefing Paper No CBP 6073, House of Commons Library 31 March 2020)  < https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06073/SN06073.pdf  > accessed  16 October 2023.

Remember in your bibliography Sara Priestley’s (the author) name will appear as Priestley S, … rest of citation…

Bibliography:  Priestley S,  'Shale gas and fracking'  (Briefing Paper No CBP 6073, House of Commons Library 31 March 2020)  < https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06073/SN06073.pdf  > accessed  16 October 2023.

For further help, please contact Claire Mazer (Law librarian) [email protected] or the Academic Services team [email protected]

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• Referencing and Citing

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Referencing styles - a Practical Guide

Oscola referencing style.

Used by: the York Law School

Introduction to OSCOLA referencing style

The Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) was developed at Oxford University, and is widely used by law schools and publishers to acknowledge source information.

In-text citations & footnotes

OSCOLA uses a footnote citation system.

In the text, a number in superscript 1  is added at the end of a sentence and after the punctuation. 

The reference is then given in the footnote at the bottom of the page.

Where you cite an author of a secondary source their name should appear as it does on the publication with first name/ initials before surname.

For more detailed information, see OSCOLA 1.1 and 1.2

Bibliography

The bibliography at the end of the document includes the full details of each source so the reader can find them themselves. The list is organised by type of source, and then alphabetically. See below for more details on organising the bibliography.

The information to include depends on the types of source - see the examples.

Useful resources

• OSCOLA Referencing style A downloadable version of this OSCOLA style guide, with some extra details
• OSCOLA Quick Reference Guide A handy 1 page summary of OSCOLA style
• OSCOLA 4th Edition The full OSCOLA Standard
• OSCOLA for international law Details for citing international law sources

Guidance for all source types

Citing a source multiple times in the same document.

For a case, cite in full the first time. For further references to the case, use a short form of the case name and a cross-citation in brackets to the original footnote. If the case name is included in the text, omit it in the footnote.

If the subsequent citation is directly after the full citation, simply use the term ‘ibid’. If pinpointing specific paragraphs, place these in square brackets.

When referring to a previous citation a number of footnotes back, use the short version of the case and add n as an abbreviation signposting the number of the footnote

For subsequent citation of legislation, abbreviations are acceptable. For subsequent citation of secondary sources, you only need the author’s surname.

For more detailed information see OSCOLA 1.2

Citing multiple sources in the same footnote

For  multiple references  within one footnote use semi-colons to distinguish between them and put them in chronological order with the oldest first. For example, this footnote refers to two cases:

If one or more references are more relevant than the others put these first and then ‘see also’. For example:

Also, order the sources with legislation before cases, and primary sources before secondary.

Using pinpoints and page numbers

A pinpoint is a precise reference to the part of a judgment or report through numbered paragraphs or page numbers. There are a number of ways you can pinpoint specific details within publications, depending on what the publication is. When citing more than one paragraph, place the numbers in square brackets. In this first example the pinpoints are at the end to paragraphs 42 and 45 of the case:

In this example for a secondary source the page number 131 is given at the end:

 For more detailed information, see OSCOLA 2.1.6 and OSCOLA 4.2.5

Cross-citation

Cross citation is when you are referring to discussion in another part of your writing, for example on an earlier page or in a previous chapter. It is good practice to use cross citation as little as possible.

Try to be specific and use a specific footnote number (For example  See n 52  for the footnote. OR:  See text to n 22 .)

For more detailed information see OSCOLA 1.2.2 

Direct quotes

You need to be very precise when using quotations.

Short quotations (less than three lines)

Use  single quotation marks  and include within the text. For example:

Longer quotations (longer than three lines)

Use an indented paragraph, no quotation marks and a line space above and below.

For more detailed information, see OSCOLA 1.5

Citing a source you've read about in a different source (secondary referencing)

This means referring to a source you have not read that you have found within another source that you are using.  Try to avoid secondary referencing as it is always preferable to use the original source and you should always try to locate this.

If you find you have to use secondary referencing, in the footnote cite the source you have read, followed by ‘citing’… For example:

In the bibliography insert only the source you have read. There is no specific guidance on this within OSCOLA. 

Naming judges

When referring to a judge within a case, use the judge’s surname followed by the correct abbreviation.  (Mr or Mrs Justice Smith should be called Smith J in your text).

The exception to this rule is when the judge holds a title. A Court of Appeal Judge who is Lord or Lady Smith should be referred to as  Smith LJ .

• A House of Lords judge should be referred to as  Lord or Lady Smith  and should not be abbreviated.
• A Supreme Court judge should be referred to as  Lord Smith SCJ.
• The Lord Chief Justice can be abbreviated to  Lord Woolf CJ.

For more detailed information see OSCOLA 2.1.7

Using Westlaw or Lexis Library

You do not need to include any information about Westlaw or Lexis Library in your citations, as this is just the portal through which you accessed the report, legislation or article. Simply reference the relevant source as you would a paper copy. 

Using Latin terms within footnotes

The only Latin term that is acceptable to use within the OSCOLA style is ‘ibid’, for the instances when you are referring to the same source in consecutive footnotes. Do not use other terms such as supra, op cit, loc cit.

For more information see OSCOLA 1.2.3 u 

Using abbreviations

OSCOLA abbreviates a wide range of legal sources and institutions.

Do not use punctuation when using an abbreviation. Eg, the Director of Public Prosecutions should appear as DPP not D.P.P.

For a comprehensive list of legal abbreviations, use the Cardiff index . You can search by abbreviation to find the title, or by title to find the abbreviation.

For more detailed information, see OSCOLA Appendix 4.2 

Questions about referencing?

Contact your Faculty Librarians if you have any questions about referencing.

Commonly used sources

Examples of in-text citations and reference list entries for key source types.

Use these examples alongside the information given in the 'Guidance for all source types' box.

Act of Parliament

You should refer to the year the Act was passed rather than the year it came into force. 

Use the short title and refer to specific sections of the Act eg

 OR use s for Section in the middle of a sentence. For example:

Footnote: 

You do not need to footnote an Act if you make it identifiable in the text. 

Bibliography:   List Legislation and Cases separately in alphabetical order in the bibliography. 

See the  OSCOLA guides  and our Referencing with Confidence OSCOLA Guide for more details. 

Case citations including neutral citations: List cases in the bibliography in alphabetic order of case names. Use the following format to cite cases.

Case name in italics [year] court number, [year] OR (year) volume report abbreviation first page

If you have included the case name in the text, you do not have to include the case names in the footnote: In text:  refer to the text giving case names in italics eg: In  Phipps v Boardman 31  …..

Bibliography:

For most sources in OSCOLA, the bibliographic format is the same as the footnote. List legislation, cases and secondary sources in separate sections of your bibliography in alphabetical order. 

Treat case notes with titles as if they are journal articles. Where there is no title, use the name of the case in italics instead, and add (note) at the end of the citation:

See 3.3.2 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details. 

Book 1 author

Capitalise the first letter of each major word of the title. Page numbers stand-alone without p or pp. use the following format for the footnote:

Information to include: Author,  Title in Italics  (edition, publisher date) page.

Book 2 or 3 authors

If the book has up to three authors, include ‘and’ in between each author. Use Initials or forename unpunctuated and with no spaces followed by surname. 

Information to include: Author, Title in Italics Capitalising Major Words  (Edition, Publisher Year) page. 

Bibliography: 

See 3.2 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details. 

Book (4 or more authors)

If a book has  more than three authors,  include ‘ and others’  after the name of the first author.

Edited book (& chapters)

Chapter in an edited book.

Information to include: author, ‘Title of chapter' in editor (ed), title in italics  (additional information, publisher year)

See 3.2.3 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details. 

Edited book

See 3.2.2 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details. 

Journal article / paper

Journal article / paper (print copy).

Footnotes: author, | ‘title’ | [year] | journal name or abbreviation | first page of article / paper,| specific page referred to

author, | ‘title’ | (year) | volume | journal name or abbreviation | first page of article / paper

Put a comma after the first page of the article / paper if you want to refer to a particular page or set of pages:

If the year serves as the volume identifier, put the year in square brackets [ ]. If there is a separate volume number, put the year in round brackets  ().

In the Young example, 72 is the volume number. Bibliography:

Omit reference to specific page numbers (other than the first page of the article / paper) in your bibliographic entry.

Journal article / paper (electronic copy)

If you source a publication online which is also available in hard copy, cite the hard copy version. There is no need to cite an electronic source for such a publication.

author, | ‘title’ | [year] OR (year) | volume/issue | journal name or abbreviation | <web address> | date accessed

If the information is only available online, give the URL before the accessed date information.

See 3.3.4 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details. 

Further sources

Examples of in-text citations and reference list entries for other source types.

Cite a Bill by its title, the House in which it originated, the Parliamentary session in brackets, and the running number assigned to it. Running numbers for House of Commons Bills are put in square brackets; those for House of Lords Bills are not. When a Bill is reprinted at any stage it is given a new running number.

Title | HC Bill | (session) | [number] OR title | HL Bill | (session) | number

Footnote and bibliography: 

In the bibliography, list bills in alphabetical order under the heading Secondary Sources.

Copied from 2.4.5 OSCOLA 4th edn. 

Where there is no relevant advice elsewhere in OSCOLA, follow the general principles for secondary sources when citing websites and blogs. If there is no author identified, and it is appropriate to cite an anonymous source, begin the citation with the title in the usual way. If there is no date of publication on the website, give only the date of access.

Author, 'Web page title' ( Website in Italics , Full Date) <URL> accessed Date

See OSCOLA 4th edn 3.4.8 for more details. 

Book (translated to English)

If you read a book that was translated from another language (eg, you read an English translation of a book orginally written in German), cite the translation:

If there is an author and translator, reference as follows:

See 3.2.2  OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details. 

Book (read in another language)

If you read a book in a language other than English (eg, you read a book written in German), cite the primary source in the original language:

Footnote:  

Bibliography:  

See 1.4 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details. 

Book review

Cite a book review in the same way as a journal article, but without the quote marks. For example,

Copied from  OSCOLA FAQs

Command paper

The abbreviation preceding a command paper number depends on the year of publication:

1833–69 (C (1stseries)) 1870–99 (C (2nd series)) 1900–18 (Cd) 1919–56 (Cmd) 1957–86 (Cmnd) 1986– (Cm)

Footnotes and bibliography:

In the bibliography, list Command Papers alphabetically by author in Secondary Sources. 

For more details see 3.4.3 OSCOLA 4th ed. 

Conference papers

See 3.4.6 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details. 

Dictionary (hard copy)

Dictionary (online).

Also consider elements of the style advice for websites and blogs (section 3.4.8).

For the OED online, open the full entry for the word, and click on the Cite button (top right above the definition). Follow that example, tidying it up to make it consistent with OSCOLA styles (eg, change double quotes to single and full stops to commas, removing those that are unnecessary; change OED Online to italics; change Oxford University Press to OUP and put it before the date; and remove http:// from the web address and delete any text after the Entry number, then put angle brackets around the url):

For other online dictionaries, follow the general advice above. You need a date of publication or at least a date of access (ie when you looked at it), as they are generally updated regularly.

Copied from  OSCOLA FAQs. 

When citing personal communications, such as emails and letters, give the author and recipient of the communication, and the date. If you are yourself the author or recipient of the communication, say ‘from author’ or ‘to author’ as appropriate.

See 3.4.11 OSCOLA 4th edn for more details

Encyclopedia

Cite as a book but exclude author or editor and publisher. Include the edition and year. Pinpoints such as volumes and page numbers come after the publication information.

If citing an online encyclopedia, give the URL and date of access:

See OSCOLA 4th edn 3.2.6 for more details. 

Entry in a reference book

List in the bibliography in alphabetical order under Secondary Sources. 

European Court of Justice case

European union regulation, hansard & parliamentary reports.

There are three series of Hansard, one reporting debates on the floor of the House of Commons, one debates in the House of Lords, and one debates in the Public Bill committees of the House of Commons, which replaced standing committees in 2007. When referring to the first two series, cite the House abbreviation (HL or HC), followed by ‘Deb’, then the full date, the volume and the column. Use ‘col’ or ‘cols’ for column(s). In the House of Commons, written answers are indicated by the suffix ‘W’ after the column number; in the House of Lords, they are indicated by the prefix ‘WA’ before the column number.

HL Deb OR HC Deb | date, | volume, | column

See 3.4.2 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details. 

When citing an interview you conducted yourself, give the name, position and institution (as relevant) of the interviewee, and the location and full date of the interview. If the interview was conducted by someone else, the interviewer’s name should appear at the beginning of the citation.

See 3.4.10 OSCOLA 4th ed. for more details. 

Footnote and bibliography:

Newspaper article

When citing newspaper articles, give the author, the title, the name of the newspaper in italics and then in brackets the city of publication and the date. Some newspapers have ‘The’ in the title and some do not. If known, give the number of the page on which the article was published, after the brackets. If the newspaper is divided into sections, and the page numbering begins afresh in each section, put the section name in roman before the page number, with a space but no comma between the two. If the reference is to an editorial, cite the author as ‘Editorial’. If the article is sourced from the web and there is no page number available, provide the web address and date of access.

List under Secondary Sources

Copied from OSCOLA 4th edn 3.4.9 

The general principles for ‘other secondary sources’ (OSCOLA 4th ed. 3.4.1) suggest the following form for citing podcasts, YouTube videos and similar sources:

Author, ‘Title’ (publication date) <url> accessed xx month 2014

If there is no clear author, give the organisation providing the source as the author. The examples below include a suggestion for citing the comments of a particular person.

If referring to comments by someone in particular, add that information as you would a pinpoint, before the url. Include the person's position if relevant. For example:

Another alternative, particularly if the podcast is quite long, would be to provide the minutes and seconds of the excerpt:

Copied from  OSCOLA FAQs 

Public communication

Author, 'Title' (additional information, publisher year)

Examples taken from  OSCOLA FAQs

List by author in Secondary Sources 

Radio programme

Footnote: Speaker (if a direct quote)/Presenter, 'Title of the programme' (Radio station, date of the programme)

Enter in alphabetical order in the Secondary Sources. If there is a direct quote/speaker, reverse the author's name as usual.

Use this format:

Author, 'Title' (Additonal information, edition if later than first, Publisher day Month year if available) page number if required.

Footnotes: 

Bibliography : 

List alphabetically in author order in secondary sources, giving the authors surname first.

Republished source

Author,  Title of book  (First published publication year, Edition if late than first, publisher, publication year) page if required.

Television programme

Footnote:  Use the following format: Main contributor [Role of main contributor],'Title of programme' [Television series episode] in Title of series (Additional information if required, Publisher, Year )

If you wish to refer to someone speaking during the programme, follow this format: Cite the name of the speaker (if a direct quote), the title of the programme, the radio station and the date of the programme. If there is no obvious author/speaker, begin the citation with the title of the programme. If available online, include the URL and date of access. For example:

List under Secondary Sources in alphabetical order

When citing an unpublished thesis, give the author, the title and then in brackets the type of thesis, university and year of completion.

Copied from 3.4.7 OSCOLA 4th edn.

United Nations Court of Human Rights

If the information is available in print, reference the print version. If only available on the web, reference as follows: 

Footnote and Bibliography:

In the bibliography, list in Secondary Sources.

YouTube video

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Library Services

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References, citations and avoiding plagiarism

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OSCOLA is the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities. This page from Oxford University provides access to the style guide and support materials, including a quick reference guide, FAQs, and styles for reference management software.

• Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) OSCOLA is designed to facilitate the accurate citation of authorities, legislation, and other legal materials and is widely used in law schools (including UCL) and by journal and book publishers.
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Law: Referencing Using OSCOLA

• Using the Library
• Using One Search
• Introduction to Academic Resources
• Law Books and Journals
• Cases, Legislation and Websites
• Referencing Using OSCOLA

OSCOLA Referencing

Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities is the accepted method for the referencing of legal materials, such as law cases, statutes and parliamentary papers, for example.  In-text citations appear as footnotes and there is a formal set of abbreviations for key sources, such as AC for Appeal Cases.

If you are studying Law at UWS you will be given guidance on the way in which you are required to use OSCOLA and you must adhere to this.

The following web site from the Faculty of Law at University of Oxford contains very useful information:

• OSCOLA 4th ed

What is referencing and why do I have to do it?

Referencing is the method we use to acknowledge the work of other authors.

It serves three principal aims:

• To support your arguments with evidence. Referencing demonstrates that your own arguments are grounded in a body of existing research and have been developed through an examination of the relevant literature.
• Referencing is an important means by which we credit other authors for any ideas, arguments, quotations, and other forms of intellectual property which are not your own. Not providing an acknowledgement for the work of others is considered plagiarism (note that plagiarism can be both intentional and unintentional). You must always provide a citation when you use another author's intellectual ideas, whether you are paraphrasing (putting it into your own words), summarising, or directly quoting from the source.
• Referencing shows the reader where they can access the original sources you have used (the evidence) to verify or fact check. It also helps the reader to carry out additional research of their own.

Please note!

Referencing is an essential, integral and accepted part of academic study and practice and must be used in the vast majority of academic assignments within all subject areas and at all levels of study.

Everyone, from Level 7 students to published academic researchers, will be required to reference throughout their academic career.

Referencing Using OSCOLA - Cite Them Right Online

The Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) is a widely recognised and widely used citation style specifically designed for legal research and writing in the United Kingdom. Here are some reasons why OSCOLA is preferred over other referencing styles in the context of legal writing:

Specialisation for Legal Sources: OSCOLA is tailored for the unique requirements of legal research, making it highly suitable for law students, legal professionals, and legal academics. It provides detailed rules for citing legal authorities, such as cases, legislation, and secondary sources, ensuring accuracy and consistency in legal writing.

UK Legal System: OSCOLA is designed to align with the legal system of the United Kingdom, including its court hierarchy, case law reporting, and parliamentary practices. This makes it the ideal choice for legal documents related to UK law.

Academic Acceptance: OSCOLA is widely accepted by UK law schools and academic institutions, and it is often the required citation style for legal research papers, theses, and dissertations. Using OSCOLA can help students meet academic standards and expectations.

Clarity and Precision: OSCOLA's clear and specific rules for citing legal sources reduce the likelihood of errors and ambiguities in legal writing. This precision is crucial in legal documents where accuracy and clarity are paramount.

Comprehensive Guidelines: OSCOLA provides comprehensive guidelines for citing a wide range of legal materials, including cases, statutes, statutory instruments, law reports, and legal journals. It also covers secondary sources, treaties, and international materials.

Regular Updates: OSCOLA is periodically updated to reflect changes in legal citation practices and technology. This ensures that it remains current and relevant to the evolving legal landscape.

Respected Standard: In the field of law, adherence to a recognised and respected citation standard like OSCOLA helps establish the credibility and professionalism of legal documents.

While OSCOLA is the preferred style for legal writing in the UK, the choice of a citation style may also depend on institutional requirements and individual preferences. However, for those working within the UK legal system, OSCOLA offers a comprehensive and specialised framework for accurate and consistent legal citations.

In Cite Them Right Online, click on Choose Your Referencing Style- and then select OSCOLA. Here you will find example of how to reference items using the Oxford University standard for the citation of legal authorities (OSCOLA) style. 

• Referencing at UWS
• Cite Them Right Online Login to Cite Them Right Online, access the Tutorial to learn about referencing, quiz yourself on your knowledge, explore multiple referencing examples and use the 'you try' feature to generate accurate references for your sources. more... less... Login with your university email and password.

Case Citation

• About Case Citations
• Case Citation Reference (Scotland)

Understanding case citations is crucial for students studying law for several reasons:

Facilitates Efficient Research: Case citations serve as standardised references, making it easier for students to locate specific court decisions quickly and efficiently during their research. With a proper citation, students can pinpoint the exact case they need without sifting through numerous legal documents.

Provides a Consistent Identifier: Case citations provide a consistent and unique identifier for each court decision, regardless of where it is published. This ensures uniformity in legal referencing and citation practices, making it easier for legal professionals, scholars, and students to communicate effectively about legal matters.

Enhances Credibility and Accuracy: Accurate citation of cases enhances the credibility of legal research and writing. Properly citing cases demonstrates thoroughness and attention to detail, which are essential qualities in legal practice. It also helps to avoid plagiarism and ensures that credit is given to the original sources of legal authority.

Supports Legal Analysis: Familiarity with case citations allows students to trace the development of legal principles over time by referencing landmark cases and their subsequent interpretations. This deepens students' understanding of legal concepts and enables them to analyse the application of law in different contexts.

Prepares for Legal Practice: In legal practice, the ability to navigate and interpret case law is essential. Understanding case citations equips students with the skills they need to conduct effective legal research, draft persuasive arguments, and support their positions with relevant precedents when they enter the legal profession.

What do case citations look like.

Case citations typically follow a standardised format, which may vary slightly depending on the jurisdiction. However, they generally include the following elements:

Case Name: The names of the parties involved in the legal dispute are listed, with the plaintiff (or claimant) usually mentioned first, followed by the defendant. In some cases, the names of multiple parties may be included.

Year of Decision: The year in which the case was decided by the court is provided. This helps to identify the temporal context of the case and allows users to distinguish between cases with similar names.

Volume and Law Report Series: The volume number and name of the law report series where the case is published are indicated. Law report series are specialised publications that compile and publish court decisions. Common law report series include the Official Law Reports (e.g., AC, QB, Ch) and specialist series (e.g., All England Law Reports, Weekly Law Reports).

Page Number: The page number within the law report series where the case begins is specified. This allows users to locate the case within the relevant publication.

Court Identifier (Optional): In some jurisdictions, an abbreviation or identifier for the court that heard the case may be included. This provides additional context about the judicial authority responsible for the decision.

For example, a case citation in the United Kingdom might appear as follows:

R v Brown [1993] 2 WLR 556

In this citation:

• R v Brown is the name of the case.
• 19931993 indicates the year the case was decided.
• 2 WLR refers to the volume and name of the law report series (in this case, the Weekly Law Reports).
• 556 is the page number where the case begins in the law report.

Overall, the format of case citations provides a standardised and structured way to reference and identify court decisions, making it easier for legal professionals to locate and cite relevant cases in their practice.

In Scotland, case citations follow a slightly different format compared to those used in other jurisdictions. While Scottish legal citations share similarities with citations used in other parts of the UK, they also have distinct features that reflect the unique legal system and practices in Scotland. A typical case citation in Scotland includes the following elements:

Case Name: The name of the case, which identifies the parties involved in the legal dispute. For example, "Smith v. Jones" or "R (on the application of Smith) v. Jones."

Year of Decision: The year in which the case was decided by the court.

Court: The abbreviation for the court that heard the case. Common abbreviations include "CS," "SC," or "FC" for the Court of Session, the Supreme Court of Scotland, and the High Court of Justiciary, respectively.

Volume: The volume number of the law report series in which the case is published.

Abbreviation for Law Report Series: The abbreviated name of the law report series where the case is published. Common Scottish law report series include "SLT" (Session Cases), "Scot LR" (Scottish Law Reporter), and "JC" (Justiciary Cases).

Page Number: The page number within the law report series where the case begins.

For example, a case citation in Scotland might appear as follows:

Smith v. Jones [2005] CSOH 123

• "Smith v. Jones" is the name of the case.
• "[2005]" indicates the year the case was decided.
• "CSOH" is the abbreviation for the Court of Session, Outer House.
• "123" is the page number where the case begins in the law report.

This citation format allows legal professionals in Scotland to accurately reference and locate specific cases within Scottish legal publications.

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Legal Research and Writing: OSCOLA

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The Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA), created by the Oxford University, is a footnote referencing style mainly used to cite British legal information and publications. This style is often used to cite references when studying law in HKU. 

This page includes some general principles and examples of citing commonly used legal materials with OSCOLA. For full details, visit OSCOLA Style Manual on the left. 

More Details on OSCOLA

Visit OSCOLA official website to understand more about this citation style and its details:

• Quick Reference Guide
• Complete Guide 
• OSCOLA FAQs  

Using OSCOLA in EndNote  

• Cite with EndNote

EndNote, a reference manager, helps you to generate references automatically in your selected citation style. The reference manager supports the Cite While You Write feature that works with Microsoft Word, enabling you to cite references while writing your paper at the same time. Visit the HKU Libraries' LibGuide on EndNote to get more how to tips of using it!  

OSCOLA is not a default output style when installing EndNote to your computer. You may click on Help at the top bar menu and select EndNote Output Styles .

You will be directed to the official EndNote Output Styles webpage , where you can search for OSCOLA and have it downloaded to your EndNote software. Check out the Cite with EndNote   tab under How to cite in OSCOLA style? on the right for more details.

Need help from us? Approach us via the following methods:

Some Basic Understandings of OSCOLA

• General Principles
• Additional Information

(A) Footnote

OSCOLA is a footnote referencing style, in which all citations are presented at the bottom of the paper. In-text citation is not applicable when using this style.

Full stop will be used in the footnote for closing of a citation. If more than one citation is listed in the same footnote, you may use semicolon (;) in between the citations for separation. When citing a specific chapter or paragraph, indicate the number at the end of citation.

(B) Use of Abbreviations

When addressing the courts, law reports and journal titles within the citations, abbreviations will be used. For instances, Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal – HKCFA; England and Wales Court of Appeal (Civil Division) – EWCA Civ; Weekly Law Reports – WLR; Butterworths Company Law Cases – BCLC…etc.

To look for abbreviated titles, you may make use of the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations , which is available online and convenient to use. Also, the Index to Legal Citations and Abbreviations ( R K112 R15 ) available from the Law Library’s Reference Collection (2/F) is also an alternative tool.

(C) Bibliographies

Bibliography generally refer to listing of secondary sources, which will be displayed at the end of the paper (i.e. after the main texts and appendices). Please be reminded that author’s surname will be stated before his or her initial, and only initials will be used but not forenames.

Other than bibliography of secondary sources, table of cases and table of legislation would be presented individually. You may take references from other university libraries on Bibliographies, Table of Cases and Table of Legislations:

• LibGuide on OSCOLA - Bibliography ( Swansea University) 
• OSCOLA - Bibliography (University of the West of England)

Not only can EndNote help to generate references, bibliography will also be produced automatically  at the end of paper with the Cite While You Write feature. Visit H KU Libraries' LibGuide on EndNote for more details!

*For full details, please refer to OSCOLA Style Manual listed on the left.

(A) Pinpointing

When referring to specific parts, chapters, paragraphs and pages, pinpoints are to be added at the end of the citation at the footnote. You may use ‘pt’ for part, ‘ch’ for chapter, ‘para’ for paragraph. Full stop is not applicable. When addressing the pages, simply indicate the page number in roman, in which ‘p’ or ‘pp’ is not required.

(B) Punctuations

Full stop are generally not to be included in OSCOLA, except the closing of each citation in the footnote. Commas will be inserted to separate information, like authors and titles, to avoid confusion. En dash will be used to indicate ranges, such as range of numbers.

Using square brackets for indication of year reflect that the year is used to search for the publications (e.g. law reports and journal articles), while round brackets are applied when the year is not regarded as the sole source for looking for that material, in which volume number shall be stated and taken into consideration for searching of the item.  

(C) Subsequent citations

When a subsequent, or repeated, citation is used, cite only author’s surname with a cross-citation (indicated as (n n )) to the footnote. Pinpoint would follow the cross-citation.

If a citation is repeated immediately in the next footnote, you may use ‘ibid’ (meaning “in the same place” in Latin) to present. Pinpoint the corresponding section to be mentioned after ‘ibid’

How to cite in OSCOLA style?

• Statutory Instruments
• Book Chapters
• Journal Articles
• Loose-leaf Publications
• Encyclopaedia
• Electronic Materials

In general, citations of cases can generally divide into three main types as listed follows:

Cases with neutral citations

Case name | [year] | court | number| , | [year] OR (year) | volume | report abbreviation | first page

• Fearn v Tate Gallery Board of Trustees [2020] EWCA Civ 104, [2020] 2 WLR 1081, [2020] Ch 621
• China Trends Holdings Ltd v Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Ltd [2021] HKCA 980, [2021] 3 HKLRD 554
• Peconic Industrial Development Ltd v Lau Kwok Fai & Others (2009) 12 HKCFAR 139

Cases without neutral citations

Case name | [year] OR (year) | volume | report abbreviation | first page | (court)

• A.G. Securities v Vaughan [1990] 1 AC 417 (HL)
• In Re Allied Group Limited and Others [1994] 1 HKLR 299 (HC)

Unreported Cases

Citation for unreported cases are similar to presentation above. In general, provide the neutral citation if it is available. If not, you may give the court in abbreviated form with the date of judgment in brackets after the name of case. The term “unreported” is not require to be specified.

• Stubbs v Sayer (CA, 8 November 1990)
• A Solicitor v The Law Society of Hong Kong (CA, 12 June 1996)

If pinpointing a particular section of the case, provide the paragraph number in square brackets if there is any, or give the page number at the end of the citation.

• Competition Commission v Quantr Ltd and Another [2020] HKCT 10 [5], [10]-[12]
• Mills v Silver [1991] CH 271 (CA) 276-79

Cite the Act using its short title and year in roman, in which comma is not needed before the year.

• Example: Digital Economy Act 2017

When pinpointing a particular section, add the information after the year with a comma to separate. Use ‘s’ to indicate section.

• Example: Civil Liability Act 2018, s 6(2)(c)

Statutory instruments (e.g. orders, regulations or rules) are numbered throughout the year. Citation is followed by the name of instrument and year in roman, with the instrument number after a comma.

• Example: United Nations Sanctions (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Regulation 2019 (Amendment) Regulation 2021, L.N. 2021/229

Citing an authored b ook, you may follow the following format:

Author , | title | (additional information, | edition, | publisher | year)

• Johannes Chan and C L Lim, Law of the Hong Kong Constitution (3rd edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2021)
• Peter Watts and F M B Reynolds, Bowstead & Reynolds on Agency (1st supp, 12 th edn, Thomson Reuters 2016)

*Additional information should be of clarifying purpose, e.g. supplement 1 to the main volume or descriptive information about the publication.

If the book is an edited or translated book, other than follow the above format as citing an authored book, please indicate the editor(s) as ‘(ed)’ or ‘(eds)’, or translator(s) as ‘(tr)’ or ‘(trs)’.

• Example : Zhou Lin (ed), China Court Cases on Intellectual Property Rights (Kluwer Law International 2011)

If there are more than three authors , mention the first author and state all other authors using ‘and others’. If there are more than one volume , state the volume number after the publication title. Pinpoint paragraph or page if necessary.

• Example : John Choong and others, Hong Kong Civil Procedure 2020 , vol 2 (2020 edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2019)

If pinpointing a particular paragraph, chapter or page, include the corresponding indication and number.

• Swati Jhaveri, Michael Ramsden and Anne Scully-Hill, Hong Kong Administrative Law (LexisNexis 2010) 199-222
• W S Clarke, Hong Kong Civil Court Practice (desk edn, LexisNexis 2014) para 15.13.3-15.13.5

When referring to a specific chapter in a book, you may indicate either by adding the chapter after the book citation, or use the following format:

Author , | ‘title’ | in editor (ed/ eds), | book title | (additional information, | publisher | year)

• Example : Antonio Da Roza, 'Jurisdiction and Procedure' in Simon N.M. Young and Yashi Ghai (eds), Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal: The Development of the Law in China's Hong Kong (CUP 2014)

The citation format of articles are similar to that of citing cases.

Author , | ‘title’ | [year] | journal name or abbreviation | first page of article

Author , | ‘title’ | ( year ) | volume | journal name or abbreviation | first page of article

• Example: AHY Chen, 'The Hong Kong Basic Law and the Limits of Democratication Under "One Country Two Systems"' (2017) 50 The International Lawyer 69

Pinpointing a particular page of the journal article works similarly as pinpointing a case but with a comma to separate the information.

• Example: P G Turner and Lusina Ho, ‘Misapplication of Company Assets: a Moving Target’ [2020] LMCLQ 354, 357

Simply stating the title in italics would be good enough for loose-leaf publications. Although publications details are generally not required to be pinpointed, you may provide the volume number (if appropriate), pinpoint the concerned paragraphs, and include the release number and/or date of issue in brackets.

• Example : Hong Kong Conveyancing: Law and Practice , vol 1, ch II, para 151-200 (issue 95)

For citing encyclopaedia like Halsbury’s of Law, state title in italics and include the edition and year of issue/ reissue, with volume number and paragraphs used. The name of author/ editor is not required.

• Example : Halsbury's Laws of Hong Kong (2nd edn, 2021) vol 5, para 42

If the encyclopaedia acknowledged an author for a section, similar to citing a book chapter, state both author and the section title at the beginning of citation. Followed by title of book in italics and publication information. If the source is in electronic format, please be reminded to provide the web link in angled brackets and date of access.

• Example : Lana Ofak, ‘Administrative Disputes in Civil Law Jurisdiction’, Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law (OSO edn, OUP 2017) <https://oxcon-ouplaw-com.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/view/10.1093/law-mpeccol/law-mpeccol-e194?rskey=jD9NMY&result=2&prd=MPECCOL#> accessed 17 December 2021

Citations of electronic materials basically follow that of print version. If publication is also available in hard copies, citing of the hard copy is preferred. If publication is available in electronic version only, indicate the web address in angled brackets (< >), followed by the most recent access date. ‘http://’ should be included only if the web address does not begin with ‘www’. If it does begin with ‘www’, ‘http://’ is not needed to include.

• Journal Articles : JM Huels, ‘Independent General Administrative Norms in Documents of the Roman Curia’ (2016) 76 The Jurist 85 <https://muse.jhu.edu/article/638749> accessed 18 December 2021
• Newspapers : Zoe Low, ‘Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog makes first arrest under new anti-doxxing law’ South China Morning Post (Hong Kong, 13 December 2021) < https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3159555/hong-kongs-privacy-watchdog-makes-first-arrest-under> accessed 3 January 2022
• Websites : Andy Yee, ‘The Coming Battle Over Bitcoin Governance’ ( Oxford Business Law Blog , 21 December 2021) < www.law.ox.ac.uk/business-law-blog/blog/2021/12/coming-battle-over-bitcoin-governance> accessed 3 January 2022

You may go through the above video regarding these contents:

• 02:29 – learn how to install citation styles that are not available in EndNote prescribed setting, with the example of OSCOLA.
• 04:11 – learn how to cite with EndNote by applying the Cite While You Write feature.

*Add-on: Changing EndNote Pre-Formatted Settings of Citation Style

There might be times when the pre-formatted settings in EndNote are differ from the standard requirements of a citation style. Still, you may revise the pre-formatted settings to have EndNote generate the correct display of citation in your paper, without doing it manually. Below is an example of altering the display of Author Name:

1. At the top-bar menu, select Output Styles under Tools > Open Style Manager > Edit OSCOLA . A dialog box will then show up with all formats pre-set for the citation style.

2. To edit the display of author names, say in the bibliographical list, you may select Author Name under Bibliography. The default format is Last Name and followed by the First Name (i.e. Smith Jane). If you would like to alter to the required format (i.e. First Name and followed by Last Name), simply click on the expand button on the right and select the required display option (i.e. Jane Smith).

3. After your amendment, remember to click Save to secure the changes.

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• Last Updated: Apr 26, 2024 11:10 AM
• URL: https://libguides.lib.hku.hk/c.php?g=950441

OSCOLA Referencing Generator

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• Select style:
• Archive material
• Chapter of an edited book
• Conference proceedings
• Dictionary entry
• Dissertation
• DVD, video, or film
• E-book or PDF
• Edited book
• Encyclopedia article
• Government publication
• Music or recording
• Online image or video
• Presentation
• Press release
• Religious text

What is OSCOLA referencing?

OSCOLA is the abbreviated name for Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. It’s the style many students use for referencing authorities, legislation and other legal materials. It is widely used in law schools and by journal and book publishers both in the UK and abroad.

The fourth edition of OSCOLA is available to purchase in book stores and online, with a downloadable reference guide available from the University of Oxford, Faculty of Law website.

How to OSCOLA reference

OSCOLA invites you to follow two “golden rules” when citing legal authorities. The first is consistency and the second is consideration for the reader. Legal writing is considered more persuasive when you refer to legal matters in a clear, consistent and familiar way. An integral part of this is having an easy way of identifying your sources.

OSCOLA does not use endnotes or in-text citations. Instead, all citations appear as footnotes. Longer works such as books and theses also include citations in tables of cases and legislation, as well as bibliographies.

Cite This For Me’s OSCOLA citation generator takes the hassle out of law referencing by providing you with the Oxford standard for the citation of legal authorities within seconds. Simply use the Cite This For Me mobile app or online tool and have the whole thing done for you quickly, accurately and consistently.

Popular OSCOLA style Citation Examples

How to cite a book in oscola style.

Use the following template to cite a book using the OSCOLA citation style.

Reference List

Place this part in your bibliography or reference list at the end of your assignment.

In-text citation

Place this part right after the quote or reference to the source in your assignment.

How to cite a Journal in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a journal using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite Film or Movie in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a film or movie using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Online image or video in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an online image or video using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Website in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a website using the OSCOLA citation style.

Additional OSCOLA style Citation Examples

How to cite a blog in oscola style.

Use the following template to cite a blog using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Court case in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a court case using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Dictionary entry in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a dictionary entry using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an E-book or PDF in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an e-book or pdf using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Edited book in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an edited book using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Email in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an email using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Encyclopedia article in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an encyclopedia article using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite an Interview in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite an interview using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Magazine in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a magazine using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Newspaper in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a newspaper using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Podcast in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a podcast using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a Song in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a song using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite The Bible in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite The Bible using the OSCOLA citation style.

How to cite a TV Show in OSCOLA style

Use the following template to cite a TV Show using the OSCOLA citation style.

Manage all your references in one place

Create projects, add notes, cite directly from the browser and scan books’ barcodes with a mobile app.

Sign up to Cite This For Me – the ultimate reference management tool.

Referencing and citations - OSCOLA: Cross referencing

• Legislation
• Other sources
• Cross referencing
• Referencing software
• Help and support

Cross-referencing Contents

In a nutshell.

You will only have to give the full/long citation of a source once in your work.

Providing you have given all the details in a footnote the first time you reference, you can, in subsequent footnotes, briefly refer to the source, and then provide a cross-citation in brackets to the footnote in which the full citation can be found.

If the subsequent citation is in the footnote immediately following the full citation, you can generally use ‘ibid’ instead.

Aside from 'ibid', avoid the use of ‘Latin gadgets’ such as supra , infra , ante, id, op cit , loc cit, and contra , which are not widely understood.

Avoid sending the reader off to another part of the text when a short point could as easily be restated. Never make a cross-reference that will be difficult for the reader to find, such as ‘See above’.

Cross-referencing the immediately preceding footnote

Regardless of material type, if a footnote refers to the same source as the IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING footnote, you can indicate this with 'ibid', including a new pinpoint if necessary. You can continue doing this for several footnotes as long as the source doesn't change, eg

22 Robert Stevens, Torts and Rights (OUP 2007).

23 ibid 217-78.

24 ibid 290.

Cross-referencing a case

Give the full citation as per advice for cases the first time you reference it. If you mention the full name of the case in the body of your work you do not need to repeat it in the footnote. If the next citation is to the same case, simply put 'ibid' with a new pinpoint if necessary. If it does not follow on directly, use the short name of the case (usually the first party, or the respondent in criminal cases, or the ship name in some maritime cases) then give the cross reference to the original footnote, eg

1 Austin v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis [2009] UKHL5, [2009] AC 564.

7 Austin (n 1).

Cross-referencing legislation

Give the full citation as per advice for legislation the first time you reference it, and indicate the 'short form' in brackets at the end - eg FSMA, e-commerce directive. The title and short form do not need to be repeated if specified in the body of your essay. If the next citation is to the same piece of legislation, simply put 'ibid' with a new pinpoint if necessary. If it does not follow on directly, you can now just use the short form of the legislation without cross referencing, eg

32 Council Directive (EC) 93/104 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time [1993] OJ L307/18 (Working Time Directive).

40 Working Time Directive, art 2.

Cross-referencing secondary sources

Give the full citation the first time you reference it. If the next citation is to the same source, simply put ibid, with a new pinpoint if necessary. If it does not follow on directly, put the author's surname followed by a cross reference to the original footnote, eg

1 Robert Stevens, Torts and Rights (OUP 2007).

26 Stevens (n 1) 110.

27 ibid 271–78.

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• Last Updated: Jun 6, 2024 4:11 PM
• URL: https://libguides.ials.sas.ac.uk/referencing

OSCOLA referencing guide

• Elements of OSCOLA referencing
• General principles
• Order of author’s name
• Source abbreviations
• Page numbers and other pinpoints
• Secondary references
• Footnotes referencing style

Bibliography

• Encyclopaedias
• Government publications

Conference papers (published)

• Journal articles
• Newspaper articles
• UK Statutes (Acts)
• European cases
• European legislation
• Repeating citations – short forms and ibid
• Need help with referencing?

Author, 'Title of paper' (Conference Title, Location, Date of Conference) <web address> accessed date.

Papers that are available online should include a web address and date of access.

Christoph Bezemek, ‘Behind a Veil of Obscurity: Anoymity, Encryption, Free Speech and Privacy’ (7 th International Conference on Information Law and Ethics ICIL, Pretoria, 2016) <https://icil.gr/2016/icil/proceedings/> 22 June 2020.

Bezemek C, ‘Behind a Veil of Obscurity: Anoymity, Encryption, Free Speech and Privacy’ (7 th International Conference on Information Law and Ethics ICIL, Pretoria, 2016) <https://icil.gr/2016/icil/proceedings/> 22 June 2020

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• Next: Journal articles >>
• Last Updated: Mar 5, 2024 1:30 PM
• URL: https://libguides.northampton.ac.uk/oscolaguide

Referencing - UK & EU Law: Working paper

• Repeated references
• Bibliography
• Neutral citation
• Pre-1865 case
• Unreported case
• Judicial opinion
• EU unreported case
• Opinion of Advocate General
• Decision of the European Commission
• ECHR unreported case
• Statute (Act of Parliament)
• Statutory instrument (SI)
• EU regulation/directive (etc)
• Law Commission report/paper
• Command Paper
• Select Committee report
• Hansard (Parliamentary debates)
• European COM Docs
• Book with one author
• Book with two authors
• Book with three authors
• Book with more than three authors
• Edited book
• Contribution to an edited book
• Encyclopedia
• Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
• Journal article
• Newspaper article
• Working paper
• Websites/Web documents
• Plagiarism & Copyright This link opens in a new window

How do I reference a working paper?

This guidance applies to online working papers. If a working paper is subsequently published in a journal, cite that in preference to the working paper.

author, | 'title' | (year) | series title (if available) | series reference number (if available) | <web address> | date accessed 

Footnote: e.g. John M Finnis, ‘On Public Reason’ (2006) Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No 1/2007 <http://ssrn.com/abstract=955815> accessed 17 March 2016

Bibliography: e.g. Finnis J M, ‘On Public Reason’ (2006) Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No 1/2007 <http://ssrn.com/abstract=955815> accessed 17 March 2016

To pinpoint, follow the citation with a comma and the page number. To pinpoint several pages, insert a dash between the page numbers: e.g. John M Finnis, ‘On Public Reason’ (2006) Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No 1/2007 <http://ssrn.com/abstract=955815> accessed 17 March 2016, 3-4

In a footnote, cite an author's name as: first name(s) or initial(s) | surname.

In a bibliography, cite an author's name as: surname | initial(s).

Do not include postnominals, such as QC.

If no individual author is identified, but an organisation (e.g. BBC) claims responsibility for the work, then cite it as the author.

If no person or organisation claims responsibility for the work, begin the citation with the title.

Title of working paper

Enclose the title in 'single quotation marks'.

Give the first letter of all major words a capital letter. Minor words (e.g. 'for', 'and', 'or', 'the') should not be capitalized, unless they begin a title or a subtitle.

If a working paper has a title and a subtitle that are not separated by punctuation, insert a colon : between them.

The year is given in (round brackets).

Series title

Give the first letter of all major words a capital letter. Minor words (e.g. 'for', 'and', 'or', 'the') should not be capitalized, unless they begin a title or a subtitle. 

If a series has a title and a subtitle that are not separated by punctuation, insert a colon : between them.

If a working paper has been published in two series (e.g. Notre Dame Legal Studies and Oxford Legal Studies Research), choose one series for your reference; there is no need to include details of both. 

Date accessed

The content of working papers is subject to change, so including the date you accessed the item is important.

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• Last Updated: Nov 20, 2023 4:47 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bournemouth.ac.uk/referencing-uk-eu-law

OSCOLA referencing guide (Online): Official Publications

• Paraphrasing
• Repeating Citations
• Secondary Referencing
• Bibliography
• Referencing Tools
• Two or Three Authors
• Four plus Authors
• Chapter in an Edited Book
• Editor or Translator
• Author & Editor or Translator
• Encyclopaedias
• Books of Authority
• Cases with Neutral Citation
• Cases without neutral citation
• Unreported Cases
• Cases before 1865
• Judges' Names
• Scot, NI & International
• Parts of Statutes
• Statutory Instruments
• Journal Articles
• Forthcoming Articles
• Working Papers
• Newspaper Articles
• Hansard & Select Committee reports
• Command Papers
• Law Commission Reports
• Official reports

Official Publications

• Legislation
• ECJ & GC cases
• Decisions of the European Commission
• European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) cases
• Websites & Blogs
• Personal Communications
• Press Release
• Podcasts & Youtube videos
• Insight & LPC

An official publication is a publication published by Parliament, a government department (UK or foreign), devolved government or an international organisation such as the European Union or World Health Organization. Sometimes there is no personal author so the organisation is deemed to be the corporate author. Check the different pages in this guide for how to cite specifical forms of official publications.

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• Last Updated: May 29, 2024 9:51 AM
• URL: https://libguides.swansea.ac.uk/oscola