How to Cite UK Legislation and Cases in Law Assignments

Getting citations right in law assignments isn’t just about following rules-it’s about showing you understand how the law works. In the UK, legislation and court cases are the backbone of legal reasoning. If you cite them wrong, your argument loses credibility, no matter how strong your analysis is. This isn’t about memorizing formats. It’s about learning how to point readers to the exact source so they can check it themselves. And if you’re submitting work for university, your marker will notice the difference.

Understand Why Citation Matters in Law

In law, every claim you make needs backing. Saying "the law says..." means nothing unless you show exactly where it says that. A judge doesn’t care what you think the law means-they care what the statute or precedent actually says. Your assignment is a mini-court submission. You’re not writing an opinion piece. You’re building a legal argument using official sources.

UK law relies on two main types of sources: legislation (laws passed by Parliament) and cases (decisions made by courts). Both have their own citation styles. The standard system used in UK law schools and courts is OSCOLA-Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities. If your university doesn’t specify a style, OSCOLA is the default.

Citing UK Legislation: Statutes and Acts

When you refer to an Act of Parliament, you need to give the full title, year, and chapter number. The format is simple:

Short Title Year c. Chapter Number

For example:

• Human Rights Act 1998 c. 42
• Companies Act 2006 c. 46
• Consumer Rights Act 2015 c. 15

You don’t need to include the royal assent date or the long title. Just the short title, year, and chapter number. The chapter number (c. X) is crucial-it’s how you find the exact version of the law in official databases like legislation.gov.uk.

If you’re quoting directly from the Act, include the section number:

• Human Rights Act 1998 c. 42, s. 6
• Equality Act 2010 c. 15, s. 149(1)

Don’t abbreviate "section" as "sec." or "s" without the dot. Always use "s." for singular and "ss." for plural. So:

• Correct: s. 12
• Correct: ss. 12-15
• Wrong: sec. 12
• Wrong: s 12

For secondary legislation-like statutory instruments (SIs)-the format is similar:

• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (General Duties of Self-Employed Persons) Regulations 2015 SI 2015/645

Notice the "SI" before the year and number. That’s mandatory.

Citing UK Court Cases: The Basics

Citing cases is trickier because there are multiple reporters (official publications of judgments). The key is to use the most authoritative source available. For most student assignments, you’ll use one of these:

• UK Supreme Court cases: UKSC
• Court of Appeal: EWCA Civ (civil) or EWCA Crim (criminal)
• High Court: EWHC (followed by the division: QB, Ch, Fam)
• Older cases: AC, QB, KB, Ch, CA

The standard format is:

Case Name [Year] Court Abbreviation Page Number

Examples:

• Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562
• R (on the application of Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5
• Smith v Jones [2020] EWCA Civ 123

Notice the square brackets around the year. That means the year is part of the citation, not just the publication date. If the case is reported in a volume with its own numbering system (like Law Reports), you use the year in square brackets. If it’s reported in a series that numbers volumes consecutively (like All ER), you use round brackets:

• Carlton Communications v Football Association Premier League Ltd [2000] 1 WLR 1411
• Re A (Children) (Conjoined Twins: Surgical Separation) [2001] Fam 147

Always include the court abbreviation. Don’t assume your reader knows which court decided it. If you’re citing a case from a non-official reporter like All ER or Weekly Law Reports, include the reporter abbreviation and page number. But if a neutral citation exists (like [2020] EWCA Civ 123), use that first-it’s free, online, and permanent.

Neutral Citations: Your Best Friend

Since 2001, UK courts have assigned neutral citations to all judgments. These are free, permanent, and don’t depend on which reporter publishes the case. They look like this:

• [2023] EWHC 456 (QB)
• [2022] UKSC 12

Always use the neutral citation first. Then, if you want to add the law report reference (like a page in the Weekly Law Reports), put it after a comma:

• R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the EU [2017] UKSC 5, [2017] 3 WLR 999

This gives your reader two ways to find the case: one free (neutral), one in print (reporter). It’s professional and thorough.

How to Reference in Footnotes

OSCOLA uses footnotes, not in-text citations. Every time you quote or paraphrase a source, put a superscript number in your text. Then, at the bottom of the page, write the full citation.

Example in text:

"The duty of care was first established in Donoghue v Stevenson."¹

Footnote:

1 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562.

Don’t repeat the full citation every time you refer to the same case. After the first full citation, you can use a shortened form:

2 Donoghue v Stevenson (n 1).

That tells the reader: "Look back to footnote 1 for the full details."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using "v." instead of "v" (it’s just "v", no dot)
• Forgetting the court abbreviation in case citations
• Citing legislation without the chapter number
• Using "sec." instead of "s." or "ss."
• Putting years in round brackets when they should be in square brackets
• Using online sources like Wikipedia or LawTeacher.net as primary references

Always go back to the original source. If you found a case through BAILII or Westlaw, cite the official version-not the website. The website is just your access point. The law is in the judgment.

What If Your University Uses a Different Style?

Some law schools still use Bluebook or Harvard. But if you’re studying law in the UK, OSCOLA is the norm. If your department insists on another style, check their handbook. But if there’s no guidance, default to OSCOLA. It’s the most widely accepted in UK legal academia and practice.

Don’t mix styles. If you cite one case in OSCOLA format and another in Harvard, you look inconsistent. Pick one and stick with it.

Tools and Resources

You don’t need to memorize every citation rule. Use these free tools:

• legislation.gov.uk - official UK statutes and SIs
• BAILII - free access to UK court judgments
• OSCOLA 4th edition PDF - downloadable from Oxford Law Faculty’s website

Many universities provide OSCOLA templates in Word or Google Docs. Ask your law librarian. They’re there to help.

Final Tip: Consistency Over Perfection

You won’t get every citation perfect on the first try. But if your citations are consistent, clear, and traceable, your marker will see that you’ve taken the work seriously. That’s worth more than a flawless but inconsistent reference list.

Proofread your footnotes. Read them out loud. Does each one tell the reader exactly where to find the source? If yes, you’ve done it right.