OSCOLA
OSCOLA referencing style is used when submitting work for a module for the School of Law. Due to the complexity of particular sources, some entries are very detailed. Make sure to fully read each page.
The source of cases may be law reports or transcripts.
When citing a case, the law report series title is abbreviated. Use the abbreviation found in the report itself, or the preferred abbreviation in the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations. If there is no preferred abbreviation you can use accepted abbreviations as listed the OSCOLA guide. If using Westlaw, remove the full stops in the abbreviated report title.
Footnote form
Pre 2001 cases
Case name (year) or [year] Law report series First page of the report Court (if not self evident) Pinpoint page or [pinpoint paragraph] if required.
Neutral citations for cases after 2001
Case name [year] neutral citation, (year) or [year] volume (if required) Law report series First page of the report Court (if not self evident from neutral citation) or comma Pinpoint page or [pinpoint paragraph] if required.
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Footnote examples
1 Arscott v The Coal Authority [2004] EWCA Civ 892, [2005] Env LR 6 [20].
2 Foakes v Beer (1884) 9 App Cas 605 (HL) [611].
3 Kensington Heights Commercial Co Ltd v Campden Hill Developments Ltd [2007] EWCA Civ 245, [2007] All ER 751, 754, [760].
4 Secretary of State for the Home Department v E [2007] UKHL 47, [2008] 1 All ER 699, 702.
5 St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan Board of Finance v Clark (No 2) [1975] All ER 772 (CA (Civ Div)).
Citing a particular judge
6 Arscott v The Coal Authority [2004] EWCA Civ 892, [2005] Env LR 6 [27] (Laws LJ).
One judgment citing another judgment
Cite the first case, followed by 'citing' and then cite the second case.
SG&R Valuation Service Co LLC v Boudrais et al [2008] EWHC 1340, [2008] IRLR 770 [22] citing Miles v Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council [1987] AC 539, 541.
Bibliography
Check the assessment directions or assessment criteria for how you should treat cases in your assessments or consult with your lecturer.
Notes
- If citing several cases in the same footnote organise them chronologically and separate with a semicolon.
- Reference the law report (i.e. where the case was reported) not the Case Analysis page in Westlaw. The Case Analysis document is a summary or abstract. It is not the case report. The law report or transcript, contains the judgment, and includes the judge's words.
- In text and in footnote citations the party names of a case are always printed in italics.
Reference: Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, OSCOLA: Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (4th edn University of Oxford 2010) 13-14.31.