UK Legislation Citation: How to Cite Laws Correctly for Student Essays

When you’re writing an essay in the UK, citing UK legislation citation, the formal way to reference acts of Parliament, statutory instruments, and other legal texts in academic work. Also known as legal referencing, it’s not just about following rules—it’s about showing you understand where the law comes from and how it applies to your argument. If you’re studying law, politics, criminology, or even business, you’ll need to reference laws accurately. Get it wrong, and your marker won’t trust your research. Get it right, and you show you’ve done the work.

There are two main types of legislation you’ll cite: Acts of Parliament, primary laws passed by the UK Parliament, like the Human Rights Act 1998 or the Education Act 1996, and statutory instruments, secondary laws made under the authority of an Act, like regulations or orders, often named with a year and number, e.g., SI 2020/123. You’ll see these in your readings all the time. Most universities expect you to use the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA), which is the standard in UK legal education. That means no APA or Harvard for laws—just the right format: title, year, and section. For example: Human Rights Act 1998, s 6. No italics, no commas before the section, no "section" spelled out unless you’re writing for a non-legal audience.

Students often mix up citations because they copy-paste from websites that don’t follow OSCOLA. A law website might say "Section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998," but in your essay, you need to write it as Human Rights Act 1998, s 6. You also need to know how to cite amendments, repeals, and cases that interpret legislation. If a court case changed how a law is applied, you cite both. For example: R (on the application of Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5 interpreted the European Communities Act 1972. That’s two sources linked together—exactly what your marker is looking for.

And don’t forget: if you’re citing a law that’s been repealed or amended, you still need to reference the version that was in force at the time your case or issue occurred. It’s not about what’s current—it’s about what was relevant then. This matters in essays on immigration, employment rights, or student discipline policies, where old laws still shape today’s rules. Your references need to be precise, not just pretty.

You’ll find that many of the posts below cover how students handle research, referencing, and academic writing under pressure—from using Zotero to format bibliographies, to finding real academic sources, to managing stress while juggling deadlines. Citing legislation isn’t just a footnote. It’s part of building credibility. Whether you’re writing about student housing rights under the Housing Act 1988, mental health support under the Equality Act 2010, or NHS access rules, getting the citation right means your argument holds weight. Below, you’ll find real guides that help you do exactly that—without the confusion, without the guesswork, and without wasting hours on formatting mistakes.