The Library purchases high-quality online subscriptions to support your assignments. This page will help you get the most out of our legal resources.
Download the University VPN system to access these anytime, anywhere!
For basic help with legal resources or referencing, contact our 24/7 Chat service (UoP librarians staff this from 9am–5pm, Monday to Friday). If you need further assistance, please email Hannah and Sharon to arrange an appointment.
Getting Started
- New students, now you are at University, your lecturers will expect you to use academic/scholarly legal sources - relying on Google or AI will not get you the highest marks.
- Watch this introduction to the library video (forthcoming) and then try out the options below:
Sometimes it can be difficult to get started with your research as there are so many sources and so much you could read:
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Textbooks are often the best starting points - check your reading lists in Moodle
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Then find more books and ebooks using the Library Catalogue
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Next, explore our legal databases, Westlaw and Lexis.
Remember to think about what you need to find and where and how to search for it:
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Academic theories and background via textbooks (on your reading lists and in the Library catalogue)
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Primary legal sources such as cases and legislation (in Westlaw and Lexis)
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Secondary legal sources such as journal articles, encyclopaedias and practitioner texts. These contain analysis and commentary (can also be found in Westlaw and Lexis)
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Any additional sources you might need such as law commission reports or government documents.
Use the information and help on this Subject page to help you navigate all these resources, and more!
Always start with suggested readings in your Moodle modules - your lecturers spend time deciding which resources to recommend:
- Check the 'Reading Lists' tab for any suggested resources and/or weekly lists
- See our Reading lists page for more information
Books provide an excellent overview of a topic and are a great resource when starting an assignment.
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For printed books, you can borrow and return 30 items and these automatically renew (but are recalled if wanted by another user). Use our Click and Collect service to reserve books and look at our postal loan service.
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Some law ebooks are also available which you can read online, search within and annotate. Some ebooks have limits on how many students can access at the same time and restrictions on downloading/printing. Please note that not all law textbooks are available electronically.
To find print books:
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Search the Library Catalogue
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Filter your search on the left-hand side to 'University Library'.
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For each book, note the floor, number and author code: FIRST FLOOR 346.42022 FIN
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Most law books can be found on Floor 1C in the 340s.
To find ebooks:
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Search the Library Catalogue
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Filter your search on the left-hand side to 'Online Resources'.
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Click on the title of the ebook to load the full record, and then 'Online access' to view.
Getting more help:
Always check the University's student guidance on the use of Generative AI.
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Using AI in legal (and academic) work is a new and fast-changing area. For more information, read these news stories collated by the Law Society.
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Examples of academic usage that might be considered appropriate are planning an assignment, generating ideas for further investigation, or helping find additional search terms or keywords.
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Be aware that the information generated in AI tools is not always correct - especially for law! Treat AI-generated content with as much caution as materials from Google or Wikipedia and ensure you use it appropriately.
Understanding Legal Sources
Law uses a range of unique source types that you may not have come across before, but you will get very used to these over the course of your degree.
This section is in progress - please check back again soon!
This section will cover
- Understanding Legal Citations
- UK Case Law
- UK Legislation
- Legal Journals
- Official Publications/Hansard
What is a case?
Cases are disputes or issues between two different parties which are brought before legal courts for a decision.
- The parties may be individuals or organisations or the state (known as the Crown in criminal cases).
- There are many different courts that cases can be heard in.
- The transcripts showing what the judge(s) said and decided for each case are known as judgments and are published in law reports.
Law reports and citations
In a law report, a case is referred to by:
- the party names
- the law report citation (which includes the year the case was reported, the volume number, the abbreviation for the law report series it appears in, and the starting page number)
EXAMPLE: Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256
There are lots of different series of law reports, from different publishers, with some being more authoritative than others. It is important that you use the most authoritative law report available. The first one to use is always the Official Law Reports series (AC, KBD, QBD, Ch, Fam) produced by the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales. If that is not available, you can use either the Weekly Law Reports (WLR) or the All England Law Reports (All ER) - and then other specialist reports if required.
Neutral Citations
Newer cases, since 2001 also have a neutral citation. These do not refer to a particular law report series but instead act as a unique identifier for the case.
After the party names, neutral citations include the:
- year the case was heard, the court abbreviation and case number
EXAMPLE: Begum v Secretary of State for the Home Dept [2024] EWCA Civ 152
Where can I access cases?
Law reports are best accessed via our Legal Databases where you can read the full judgment as well as find related information.
Note that not all cases are reported! Many cases that are highlighted in the media are not legally interesting, so there is no need to report them. Cases are reported when judges need to interpret the law in a new or different way and need to set precedents (judges then follow these rulings in later cases). If your case is not reported, you will most likely find it in our Newspaper Databases instead.
OSCOLA Referencing (LAW ONLY)
**From September 2026 we will be moving to OSCOLA 5th edition. Resources are being developed.**
Please find 4th edition resources below.
**From September 2026 we will be moving to OSCOLA 5th edition.**
Please find 4th edition resources below.
The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) is designed to help the author to achieve consistency and to make life easier for the reader.
- Referencing Tips & OSCOLA (video)
This video will cover referencing tips for students at any level. It will also show students where to go to find more help with referencing.
Includes updates for changes to citation of EU and retained EU Legislation following Brexit and other changes to citation of EU cases and legislation. Also provides examples for a source cited in a secondary source; a judgment citing another judgment; eBooks; Book reviews; Radio programmes; Speeches; Dictionaries; Podcasts, YouTube etc. Note: The suggestions on this page have not yet been discussed and approved by the OSCOLA editorial board.
Further resources for OSCOLA 4th edition:
Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
This database allows you to search for the meaning of abbreviations for English language legal publications, from the British Isles, the Commonwealth and the United States, including those covering international and comparative law.
(pdf file 268 kb)
Use this hierarchy to determine the best law report.
(pdf file 136 kb)
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OSCOLA Citing International Sources Section
The OSCOLA Guide (4th ed) does not include international law. It used guidance from the 2006 edition which has now been removed.
Please refer to Section 4: International Sources in the 5th edition instead.
Citing Primary Sources - Statutes (video)
Includes information about pinpointing certain sections, section abbreviations, and where to find this information in the document.
Citing Primary Sources - Cases (video)
Includes information about reported and unreported cases, the legal report hierarchy, the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations, cases with and without a neutral citation, when to use [square] or (round) brackets, how to find law reports in a legal database, and citing judges.
Citing Secondary Sources - Books (video)
Includes information about whole books, books with one author/editor, books with more than one author/editor, corporate authors, no authors, and book chapters.
Citing Secondary Sources - Journal Articles (video)
Includes information about articles with one or more author, using [square] or (round) brackets, using the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations to abbreviate journal titles (when necessary), and referencing online journal articles.
Citing Secondary Sources – Webpages and Blogs (video)
Includes information about citing websites with different types of authors or no authors and citing blogs with authors or no authors.
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OSCOLA 5th edition - TO BE USED FROM SEPTEMBER 2026 ONLY
The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA) is designed to help the author to achieve consistency and to make life easier for the reader.
- OSCOLA Official Quick Reference Guide (5th edn)
- OSCOLA FAQs (5th edn) - these will be developed as the OSCOLA editorial board receives queries.
There are some minor changes but the overall idea of the referencing style remains the same, so do not panic!
A few pointers are below, with pages numbers to the full guide, in case you want to view more information or see examples:
- Ibid is no longer used: cross-references are used instead (p.6)
- Court abbreviations: use KBD for King’s Bench Division and QBD for Queen’s Bench Division (previously these were KB and QB) (pp.19-20)
- Ebooks: if the page numbers are the same as the printed version then treat it as a printed book. If there is no printed version, include the ebook type. Where the ebook lacks page or paragraph numbers, include a chapter/section number (or name) (p.35)
- Websites: cite permanent links wherever possible (for published works a perma.cc is advised - this is not necessary for student assessments, just use the usual link). If there is a persistent link or a DOI, no date of access is needed. DOIs do not need to be in < > (but they are also not needed at all if the journal article is also available in hard copy). Do not cite PDF files or downloaded content (p.39)
- Newspaper articles: don't need the city of publication (p.41)
- Command papers: include CP for those published since 2019 (p.42)
- Other secondary sources: various small changes to sources including social media posts, book reviews, lectures/speeches, theses, pinpoints for audio/video content (pp.33-44)
- International law: various changes (pp.45-62)
- Retrospectively created medium neutral citations (those that predate 2001) should not be used (p.18)
- If tables of cases or legislation are required (NB this is usually only for longer pieces of work and not standard student assessments) these must now be indexed (p.12)
- Bibliographies of secondary sources should be A-Z by author surname and not split by source type. The Bibliography does not need to be indexed (pp.12-13)
(This list was compiled using Naomi Hart's guidance)
APA 7th Referencing (LAW WITH BUS, CRIM, OR IR)
If you are taking modules from the Business School or the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, you will need to use APA 7 and NOT OSCOLA. Please confirm with your tutor which citation style you need to follow BEFORE you start writing. APA 7th and OSCOLA are two very different referencing styles and it is easy to become confused.
Access Referencing@Portsmouth to find out how to reference all your sources in APA style, including advice on legal and government sources.
Referencing guidance:
- Watch my 10 minute APA Basics video
- Watch my 10 minute video on the most common errors in APA 7th
Can I use AI to generate references?
Be aware that ChatGPT and other similar tools still invent some academic references. Using such fabricated information in your work is considered academic misconduct so you should always double check any AI generated references. They also make some mistakes with APA 7th style.
- The University has guidance for students on the use of AI.
Introductory Library Videos
The New Discovery Interface
Get ready to uncover how to use the new Discovery Service from the Library. Here you’ll see a brief overview of how the new interface looks and how you can use it for your research.
Doing a Literature Search
This video covers the five steps of the literature search process. The video also covers some search techniques and recommends other videos for further viewing.
Effective Reading
When and how you should skim, scan, and read in depth. Useful techniques for research and weekly readings.
Introduction to Librarians, Library Website, and Law Subject Pages
Introduces the subject librarians, the key features of the library's website, as well as how to find the subject pages.
Referencing Tips & OSCOLA
This in depth video provides information on OSCOLA referencing. Topics include: referencing tips, recommended reading, OSCOLA tools, footnotes, bibliographies, pinpointing, and repeating citations.
Please see the OSCOLA Videos section of the Law Subject Page for additional videos.
How to Find Cases in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find UK cases using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find Commentary in Lexis and Westlaw
Mentions the different kinds of commentary, demonstrates how to find commentary using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find Journals and Journal Articles in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find journals and journal articles using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find UK Statutes in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find UK statutes using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
Databases
You can maximise your legal research by becoming certified with Westlaw. Having these credentials always looks good on a resume!
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Primary and secondary legal resources plus EU materials.
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British and Irish case law & legislation, European Union case law, Law Commission reports, and other law-related British and Irish material.
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Canadian Legal Information Institute. What will you find on CanLII: legal cases, legislation, and commentary.
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The online gateway to EU Law. It provides the official and most comprehensive access to EU legal documents including treaties, legal acts from EU institutions, preparatory documents related to EU legislation, EU case-law, international agreements, and EFTA documents.
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The National Archives service provides public access to Court Judgments and Tribunal decisions.
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European Court of Human Rights Case Law.
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Cover cases decided by the following courts and tribunals: The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, The Court of Justice of the European Union, The Court of Appeal (Civil Division), The Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), The Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court (including the Divisional Court), The Chancery Division of the High Court, The Family Division of the High Court, The Court of Protection, The Employment Appeal Tribunal, The Upper Tribunal, The Court Martial Appeal Court, The Consistory Court, The Court of Ecclesiastical Causes Reserved, The Chancery Court of York
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The official report of all parliamentary debates.
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Cases and journal articles from international jurisdictions.
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A collection of various legal sources. Useful for law, international relations, political and historical studies but with strong American bias although it does include the English Reports, covering important cases reported before the Official Law Reports started in 1865 and Statutes of the Realm 1235-1713
How to Find Cases in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find UK cases using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find Commentary in Lexis and Westlaw
Mentions the different kinds of commentary, demonstrates how to find commentary using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find Journals and Journal Articles in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find journals and journal articles using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
How to Find UK Statutes in Lexis and Westlaw
Demonstrates how to find UK statutes using the two legal databases, how to locate permalinks, and also provides some referencing information.
Reliable Legal Resources
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The official report of all parliamentary debates.
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Use this service to find contact details for court and tribunal venues.
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Includes information on judgments, orders, and sentencing remarks.
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All criminal cases start in a magistrates’ court and normally handles cases known as ‘summary offences’ but it can also deal with some of the more serious offences.
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Find decisions on Employment Tribunal cases in England, Wales and Scotland from February 2017 onwards.
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Hears cases where a child who is the subject of legal proceedings must be protected and this protection is not possible under the Children Act 1989. See also Family Division of the High Court (GOV.UK) for more information.
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Full text articles from UK and international news sources - coverage varies but can run from the 1980s to today. As well as newspapers, you'll find news wires and BBC Monitoring reports.
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PressReader lets you access UK and international newspapers, plus a wide range of magazine content. Everything is full colour with archives varying in length depending on the publication.
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Command and act papers from the UK Government.
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The statutory independent body to keep the law of England and Wales under review and to recommend reform where it is needed.
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The supreme legislative body for the UK, British Crown Dependiencies, and British Overseas Territories.
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Committees consider policy issues, scrutinise government work, expenditure, and examine proposals for primary and secondary legislation.
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The UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics. Responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the economy, population and society at national, regional, and local levels.
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Data from a number of years which you can download and manipulate into graphs etc.
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The latest incarnation of the above
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UK National Statistics: Publication Hub
(Searchable in EBSCO Discovery)Official statistics from the UK Government.
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Australia’s national statistical agency. An official source of independent, reliable information.
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The home of the U.S. Government’s open data.
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The United States' primary source for criminal justice statistics. The mission of BJS is to collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government.
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Ireland's national statistical office and our purpose is to impartially collect, analyse and make available statistics about Ireland’s people, society and economy.
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The agency ensures Canadians have the key information on Canada's economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision makers.
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non-ministerial body responsible for criminal prosecutions.
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ministerial department responsible for immigration, security, and law and order.
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a Parliamentary Select Committee with remit to consider human rights issues in the UK.
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ministerial department responsible for areas of constitutional policy, human rights law and information rights law.
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The supreme legislative body for the UK, British Crown Dependiencies, and British Overseas Territories.
International Law
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The Council of Europe is the continent's leading human rights organisation. It includes 47 member states, 27 of which are members of the European Union.
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Complete list of the Council of Europe's treaties.
Part of the Council of Europe, which is a different legal system to that of European Union.
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The text of the Convention is presented as amended by the provisions of Protocol No. 14 (CETS no. 194) as from its entry into force on 1 June 2010.
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Available in print in the Law Reference Collection.
Part of the Council of Europe, which is a different legal system to that of European Union.
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Official website.
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European Court of Human Rights Case Law.
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European Court of Human Rights Case Law.
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Primary and secondary legal resources plus EU materials.
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British and Irish case law & legislation, European Union case law, Law Commission reports, and other law-related British and Irish material.
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Official website. Includes case law.
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The online gateway to EU Law. It provides the official and most comprehensive access to EU legal documents including treaties, legal acts from EU institutions, preparatory documents related to EU legislation, EU case-law, international agreements, and EFTA documents.
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Primary and secondary legal resources
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Primary and secondary legal resources plus EU materials.
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Australia's online free-access resource for Australian legal information. AustLII maintains its own collections of primary materials: legislation and court judgments ("case law") and secondary materials: commentaries and summaries on the law.
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The authorised whole-of-government website for Commonwealth legislation and related documents. It contains the full text and details of the lifecycle of individual laws and the relationships between them.
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Provides access to court judgments from all Canadian courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada, federal courts, and the courts in all Canada’s provinces and territories.
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The online source of the consolidated Acts and regulations of Canada.
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Provides public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government.
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Includes an extensive database of federal cases.
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Provides open access to legal materials. Resources include: annotated version of the constitution, federal statutes, Supreme Court decisions, CFR, and more.