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Legal Research Masterclass: Tips and Tools for Effective Law Library Use

Join the May 2014 session at the University of Sydney's Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library with Librarian Patrick O'Mara to learn how to interpret citations, find legal materials, access resources, and enhance your legal research skills.

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Legal Research Masterclass: Tips and Tools for Effective Law Library Use

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  1. ‘All in One’ Legal Research Class May 2014 Session University of Sydney Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library Patrick O'Mara – LPAB Librarian

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

  3. Types of Material

  4. Supplementary Materials • Via LEC Web Campus site or Law Library’s ‘LPAB Students’ link • If source is available via a free web site you will be linked directly to that site • If source is available via a subscription database you will need to enter your Unikey • Select ‘Documents and Markups’ setting to maintain highlighting of extracts.

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

  6. Steps for finding cases • What is the abbreviation?? (see Law Library – Free Web Law – Legal Abbreviations) • Australian or UK or other?? • Law report or medium neutral citation

  7. Steps for finding cases (cont) • Law Report: Law Databases – Cases – Law Reports A to Z • Medium Neutral Citation Law Databases – Cases - AustLII • UK case - Law Databases – Cases – ICLR Online

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

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

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

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

  12. Steps for finding cases (cont)

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

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

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

  16. Delegated Legislation Examples include: regulations, rules, ordinances, by-laws Laws made by a person or body to whom Parliament has delegated law-making authority. Example: • Civil Liability Regulation 2009 (NSW)

  17. Finding Acts and Delegated Legislation Commonwealth Legislation • AustLII • ComLaw NSW Legislation • AustLII • NSW Parliamentary Counsel’s Office

  18. Books Different legal citation guides use different modes of citation…. • Aitken & Orr (eds.), The Australian Constitution, 3rd ed. Australian Government Solicitor, 2002 • Patrick Parkinson, Tradition and Change in Australian Law, (4thed, 2005)

  19. Books: Dewey for Law An example: 340 Law (generally) 340.072 Legal research 340.072094 Legal research in Australia

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

  21. Journal articles • Different legal citation guides use different • modes of citation…. • P. W. Young, Dismissal of Judges (1993) 67 ALJ 83. • Anita Stuhmcke, ‘Privatisation and cooperation : what now for the Commonwealth Ombudsman?’ (2004) 11(2) Australian Journal of Administrative Law 101.

  22. Finding Journal articles • When you already have a citation ‘Journal’ search on Library Catalogue. Search title of journal NOT title of article • Searching for journal articles by subject Law Databases – Journal Databases and News Services – eg. AGIS Plus Text (Australia) and LegalTrac (innternational)

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

  24. Legal Encyclopaedias • Go to: Law Databases – Comprehensive Legal Research • Two major legal encyclopaedias • Laws of Australia • Halsbury’s Laws of Australia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  34. More Law Report Citations Waterhouse v Hickie (1995) Aust Torts Reports ¶ 81-347

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

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

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