Legal Citation - Murdoch

Legal citation

Murdoch University Library and Murdoch University School of Law

What is 'legal citation'? It is a standardardized set of guidelines that allows the writer of legal discourse to refer to legal authorities and sources with enough clarity to enable the reader to find or follow those references. This referencing of statements and sources of law must be done clearly, concisely and consistently to ensure efficient and accurate location of these sources.

In 2008 the Murdoch School of Law decided to adopt the Australian Guide to Legal Citation, (2nd ed, 2002) (R340.0148 AUS 2002) or < http://mulr.law.unimelb.edu.au/PDFs/aglc_dl.pdf > as the standard which Murdoch law students should follow. This file can be viewed online but not downloaded. Copies can be purchased from the Murdoch bookshop.

There are some differences between Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) and the Legal Citation Guide previously used. Authors names are now given first name (in full) and then last name, and for books, publisher and publication place are not required.

Examples of citations in AGLC format.

Books
- Gabriël Moens and Peter Gillies, International Trade and Business : Law, Policy and Ethics (2nd ed, 2006)
- Peter Hanks and Bryan Keon-Cohen (eds), Aborigines and the Law : Essays in Memory of Elizabeth Eggleston (1984)
- Stephen Graw, An Introduction to the Law of Contract, (5th ed , 2005)
Articles
- Thomas Crofts, 'West Australian Wilful Murderers Soon to Get Away with Murder?' (2006) 31 Alternative Law Review 203
- Vernon Nase, 'The Questionable Legality of the Space Elevator Concept' (2006) 1 German Journal of Air and Space Law - Zeitschrift Für Luft – Und Weltraumrecht (ZLW) 118
- Kate Lewins, 'What’s the Trade Practices Act Got To Do With It? Section 74 and Towage Contracts In Australia' (2006) 1 eLaw Journal 58 < https://elaw.murdoch.edu.au/issues/2006/1/ eLaw_Lewins_13_2006_05.pdf > at 23 January 2008
Cases and Legislation a brief guide from Murdoch Law Library.
See also the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations for abbreviations used for law reports and law journals.