OSCOLA Quick Guide 2022 23

OSCOLA
Referencing Quick Guide

2022/2023
______________________________ _______________________________
Introduction 2 Official publications contd. 13
• The importance of legal citations and • Command Papers and Law Commission
academic referencing Reports
• Why referencing systems matter • Parliamentary Reports
• The OSCOLA referencing style _______________________________
• Creating footnotes
EU Sources 17
______________________________
• EU Treaty/Protocol
Books 4 • EU Regulation/Directive/Decision/
Recommendation/Opinion
• Book with a single author
• EU retained legislation
• Book with two authors
• EU case with an ECLI
• Book with three authors
• EU case with an ECLI & law report citation
• Book with more than three authors
• EU official documents
• Edited book
• Chapter in an edited book _______________________________
• Encyclopaedias and dictionaries
European Court of Human Rights 21
• eBooks
______________________________ • ECHR case
• ECHR unreported case
Journal articles 7 _______________________________
• Print article without a volume number
International sources 22
• Print article with a volume number
• Online journal articles • International treaty
• Case notes • International judgment
______________________________ • Cases/legislation from other jurisdictions
• Citing other types of international source
Cases 9 _______________________________
• Case with only a neutral citation
Web sites 24
• Case with only a law report citation
• Case with a neutral and a law report citation _______________________________
• Unreported cases
Media sources 25
______________________________
• Television programmes
Legislation 11 • Radio broadcasts
• Podcasts/YouTube
• Statutes
• Statutory instruments ______________________________
_______________________________ Creating a bibliography 27
Official publications 14 ______________________________
• House of Commons Hansard
OSCOLA FAQ 29
• House of Lords Hansard
OSCOLA Referencing Quick Guide
Introduction
The importance of legal citations and academic referencing
Legal citations are the references in the text or in footnotes to the legal, academic and other sources which
support your argument.
Whenever you make a claim that ‘the law is x’, you should cite a legal authority for that proposition. This
allows your reader to assess not only whether your claim is accurate, but also how strong the authority is.
The citation is therefore an integral part of the evidence that supports arguments about what the law says
and what it means.
When writing a law essay you will usually incorporate material and ideas from books, journal articles,
official publications and other sources. It is essential that you use the correct referencing technique to give
credit for quotes which come from other writers. You must also provide a reference even if you are not
quoting directly from other work, but where that work has nevertheless helped you to formulate your own
ideas.
If you fail to make appropriate references it may look as though you are claiming credit for ideas which are
not your own, which is viewed in UK universities as poor academic practice or worse – please ensure you
are familiar with the rules on plagiarism and the University Academic Integrity Policy.
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Why referencing systems matter
As a guiding principle, citations should enable the reader to find the precise source you have quoted or
relied on, and also which part of that source you have used. All referencing systems allow writers to
provide that information in a type of ‘code’ which obeys very specific rules. Students and academics
working within specific disciplines, like law, all use the same referencing code so that they can easily comply
with it when writing legal texts, but also so that they can all ‘de-code’ references when reading each other's
work. The code, or style of referencing, used in the Liverpool Law School is the OSCOLA referencing style.
The OSCOLA referencing style

OSCOLA (the Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities) is a footnote style. It does not use in-text
citations or endnotes. This guide is based on the 4th edition of OSCOLA and covers the main sources of
information that you are likely to need to cite in your work. For a more detailed guide to OSCOLA see
http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/published/OSCOLA_4th_edn.pdf.
This guide will begin by describing how to write footnotes for different types of legal materials in a manner
which obeys the OSCOLA rules.
At the end of the guide there is an important section which explains when and how to add footnotes to
your text, and how to build a bibliography.
Introduction
Creating footnotes
Legal citations and academic references should be dealt with together, as they arise in the text, in a single
set of footnotes. Sometimes additional information and comments are placed in footnotes but you should
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try to avoid this in student essays, where you will be working to tight word limits. A good rule of thumb is
that if the information is important enough to include, it should be in the text. If it is not important enough
to warrant inclusion in the text, it is better excluded altogether.
Whether footnotes are included within the word count depends upon your programme and module.
Always check with the module coordinator or the teaching team on the specific module if you’re not sure.
Footnotes are easy to create using Microsoft Word. Click the References tab and position the cursor where
you want the footnote to be inserted and click the Insert Footnote button. You will see the footnote
superscript number1 is inserted into your text and at the bottom of the page, ready for you to enter the
reference.
Always put the footnote marker at the end of a sentence, unless it relates to a specific word or phrase, and
close footnotes with a full stop.
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Introduction
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Books
General guidance
1. Organisations and institutions can be named as authors; if no person or organisation is claiming
authorship then start the reference with the title.
2. In footnotes the author’s first name comes before their surname. In the bibliography, the surname
comes first followed by the author’s initial(s), not their first name.
3. All publications with an ISBN should be cited as a book, whether read online or in print. An ISBN is a
13 digit number usually located with the publication details of a source.
4. Use capital letters for the first letter of all major words in a title. Words such as ‘for’, ‘or’ and ‘the’ do
not need a capital letter unless they are the first word of the title or subtitle.
Creating the footnote

1. Start with the author’s name, then the book title in italics followed by a comma. Next is the edition
information (if it is not the first edition) followed by a comma, the publisher and year of publication
in round brackets. End the footnote with a full stop.
2. To reference a specific page insert the page number at the end of the citation. Do not include ‘p’ or
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‘pp’ before page numbers. If appropriate, use a specific range of pages using the format 22-24.
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Examples
Book with a single author
Footnote
Timothy Endicott, Administrative Law (2nd edn, OUP 2011).
When referring to a specific page
Timothy Endicott, Administrative Law (2nd edn, OUP 2011) 58.
Bibliography
Endicott T, Administrative Law (2nd edn, OUP 2011).
Book with two authors

Footnote
Judith-Anne MacKenzie and Aruna Nair, Textbook on Land Law (17th edn, OUP 2018).
Judith-Anne MacKenzie and Aruna Nair, Textbook on Land Law (17th edn, OUP 2018) 26.
Bibliography
MacKenzie JA and Nair A, Textbook on Land Law (17th edn, OUP 2018).
Books
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Book with three authors

Footnote
Mark Sutherland Williams, Michael Hopmeier and Rupert Jones (eds), Millington and Sutherland Williams
on the Proceeds of Crime (4th rev edn, Oxford University Press 2013).
Mark Sutherland Williams, Michael Hopmeier and Rupert Jones (eds), Millington and Sutherland Williams
on the Proceeds of Crime (4th rev edn, Oxford University Press 2013) 189.
Bibliography
Sutherland Williams M, Hopmeier M and Jones R (eds), Millington and Sutherland Williams on the Proceeds
of Crime (4th rev edn, Oxford University Press 2013).
Book with more than three authors

Footnote
Jeffrey Jowell and others, The Changing Constitution (8th ed, OUP 2015).
Jeffrey Jowell and others, The Changing Constitution (8th ed, OUP 2015) 78.
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Bibliography
Jowell J and others, The Changing Constitution (8th ed, OUP 2018).
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Edited book
An edited book is a collection of chapters on a central theme, often written by different authors and
compiled by an editor. Use (ed) if there is one editor, or (eds) if there is more than one editor.
Footnote
Jeremy Horder (ed), Oxford Essays in Jurisprudence: Fourth Series (OUP 2000).
Jeremy Horder (ed), Oxford Essays in Jurisprudence: Fourth Series (OUP 2000) 34.
Bibliography
Horder J (ed), Oxford Essays in Jurisprudence: Fourth Series (OUP 2000).
Chapter in an edited book

To refer to a specific chapter within an edited book, cite it in a similar way to a journal article followed by
‘in’, then give the editor’s name, the title of the book in italics and the publication information. Include the
book, not the individual chapter, in the bibliography.
Footnote
Fiona Beveridge, ‘Gender, the Acquis and Beyond’ in Michael Dougan and Samantha Currie (eds) 50 Years
of the European Treaties: Looking Back and Thinking Forward (Hart 2009).
Fiona Beveridge, ‘Gender, the Acquis and Beyond’ in Michael Dougan and Samantha Currie (eds) 50 Years
of the European Treaties: Looking Back and Thinking Forward (Hart 2009) 59.
Books
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Bibliography
Dougan M and Currie S (eds), 50 Years of the European Treaties: Looking Back and Thinking Forward (Hart
2009).
Encyclopaedias
Cite an encyclopaedia in a similar way to a book, but exclude the author/editor and the publisher
information and include a volume number, if applicable. If pinpointing to a specific paragraph, insert the
paragraph number after the volume number and a comma.
Footnote
Halsbury’s Laws (5th edn, 2010) vol 57.

When referring to a specific paragraph
Halsbury’s Laws (5th edn, 2010) vol 57, para 53.
Bibliography
Halsbury’s Laws (5th edn, 2010) vol 57.
Dictionaries
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Citations for dictionaries follow a similar format to encyclopaedias, although there is a difference if the
dictionary is online.
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Printed dictionary
Footnote
‘no fault compensation’, Oxford Dictionary of Law (7th edn, OUP 2013).
Bibliography
Oxford Dictionary of Law (7th edn, OUP 2013).
Online dictionary
Footnote
‘philosophy, n’ (OED Online, OUP June 2013) <www.oed.com/view/Entry/142505> accessed 5 August 2021.
Bibliography
OED Online (OUP June 2013) <www.oed.com/view/Entry/142505> accessed 5 August 2021.
eBooks
eBooks are cited in the same way as printed books. There is no need to include a web address or the date
the book was accessed online.
Books
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Journal articles
General guidance
1. If there are multiple authors follow the author guidance in the Books section.
2. Organisations and institutions can be named as authors; if no person or organisation is claiming
authorship then start the reference with the title.
3. The author’s first name comes before their surname. In the bibliography, the surname comes first
followed by the author’s initial(s), not their first name.
4. Use capital letters for the first letter of all major words in a title. Words such as ‘for’, ‘or’ and ‘the’ do
not need a capital letter unless they are the first word of the title or subtitle.
5. Treat case notes with titles as if they were journal articles. Where there is no title, use the name of
the case in italics and add (note) at the end of the citation.
6. Journal articles found on databases such as Westlaw UK or Lexis Library are online versions of printed
journal articles and should be cited as if they were print. Do not include a database URL.
7. Square brackets around the year of publication indicate that you need to know the year to find the
printed journal volume on the shelf. Round brackets mean you do not need the year as there will be
a unique volume number.
8. Find journal title abbreviations at www.legalabbrevs.cardiff.ac.uk. Use either journal abbreviations or
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full journal titles throughout your work: either form is acceptable, but you must be consistent.
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1. Start with the author’s name and a comma, followed by the article title in ’single quotation marks’
and the year of publication in square or round brackets (see General guidance point 7). Next is the
journal abbreviation (see General guidance point 8) or the full journal title and the number of the
first page of the article. End the footnote with a full stop.
2. To reference a specific page within an article, insert a comma after the first page of the article
followed by the page number to which you want to refer your reader. Do not include ‘p’ or ‘pp’
before page numbers. If appropriate, use a specific range of pages using the format ‘22-24’. If an
article has paragraph numbers, insert ‘para’ followed by the paragraph number or paragraph range.
Examples
Print article without a volume number
Footnote
Paul Craig, ‘Theory, “Pure Theory” and Values in Public Law’ [2005] PL 440.
Paul Craig, ‘Theory, “Pure Theory” and Values in Public Law’ [2005] PL 440, 442.
Journal articles
Bibliography
Craig P, ‘Theory, “Pure Theory” and Values in Public Law’ [2005] PL 440.
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Print article with a volume number

Footnote
Alison L Young, ‘In Defence of Due Deference’ (2009) 72 MLR 554.
Alison L Young, ‘In Defence of Due Deference’ (2009) 72 MLR 554, 558.
Bibliography
Young AL, ‘In Defence of Due Deference’ (2009) 72 MLR 554.
Online journal articles

Journal articles accessed via databases such as Westlaw or Lexis are usually print journal articles made
available in an online format and should be cited as if they were print journal articles - do not include a URL
in your reference. Where journals are only published online, the URL and the date of access should be
included in the citation. Online –only journals may have paragraph numbers and can be pinpointed by
putting the paragraph number in [square brackets] before the URL.
Footnote
Graham Greenleaf, ‘The Global Development of Free Access to Legal Information’ (2010) 1(1) EJLT <http://
ejlt.org/article/view/17> accessed 27 July 2010.
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Graham Greenleaf, ‘The Global Development of Free Access to Legal Information’ (2010) 1(1) EJLT [14]
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<http://ejlt.org/article/view/17> accessed 27 July 2010.
Bibliography
Greenleaf G, ‘The Global Development of Free Access to Legal Information’ (2010) 1(1) EJLT <http://
ejlt.org/article/view/17> accessed 27 July 2010.
Case notes
Cite case notes like journal articles. Where there is no title, use the name of the case in italics and add
(note) at the end of the citation. If the case in the note is referred to in the text, it is not necessary to put
the name of the case in the case note citation.
Footnote
Andrew Ashworth, ‘R v (Singh) v Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police’ [2006] Crim LR 441 (note).
If the case is referred to in the text
Andrew Ashworth [2006] Crim LR 441 (note).
Andrew Ashworth, ‘R v (Singh) v Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police’ [2006] Crim LR 441, 443
(note).
If the case is referred to in the text
Journal articles
Andrew Ashworth [2006] Crim LR 441, 443 (note).

Bibliography
Ashworth A, ‘R v (Singh) v Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police’ [2006] Crim LR 441 (note).
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Cases
General guidance
1. Cases may be reported in more than one place.
2. UK courts have passed rules which mean that some reports are more authoritative than others.
3. The most authoritative series is called The Law Reports. This includes volumes called the Appeal
Cases (AC), Chancery Divison (Ch), Family Division (Fam) and Queens Bench (QB). These law report
series contain cases on all areas of law. You can find out more about the hierarchy of law reports in
the full OSCOLA guide.
4. Other law reports series are organised by field of law. We refer to these as specialist series and they
contain cases on specific areas of law, such as the Entertainment and Media Law Reports (EMLR).
5. Neutral citations are references which the courts assign to cases independently of the references
which are used in different series of law reports. Some courts publish their judgments online before
the official law reporters publish them in their series. That is why we need a ’neutral’ citation to refer
people to those judgments, which are actually case transcripts rather than formal law reports.
6. Law report titles are usually abbreviated. Use the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations link to find out
what these abbreviations mean.
7. Party names should be in italics in the text of your work and the footnote but not in the bibliography.
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8. If the case name is included in the text, you only need to include the case citation in your footnote.
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1. Start with the party names.
2. If there is a neutral citation, that comes next with the year in square brackets, the abbreviation for
the court in which the case was heard and the judgment number.
3. If the case was subsequently reported in a printed set of law reports, the citation for this comes next
after a comma. The year comes first, in square brackets if the year is essential to locating the report
and round brackets if it is not essential (usually because there is a consecutive volume number).*
This is followed by the volume number (if there is one), the abbreviation for the law report series in
which the case is reported and the number of the first page. End the footnote with a full stop.
4. To reference a specific page within a judgment, insert a comma after the first page of the report
followed by the page number to which you want to direct your reader. Do not include ‘p’ or ‘pp’
before page numbers. If appropriate, use a specific range of pages using the format 22-24. Cases
with neutral citations have paragraphs, not page numbers, and you use square brackets to pinpoint
to a specific paragraph or range of paragraphs, for example [3] or [12] - [15]. If you have multiple
pinpoints in the same footnote, separate them with a comma.
*Use of brackets
1. Brackets denote whether the year is required to locate the correct version of a law report. This
convention was established when law reports were only available in printed form; now, most law
report retrieval is undertaken online and the shape of the brackets is not important. However, the
rule around the use of square and round brackets in legal citation remains and you should follow
Cases
whichever style of brackets is given in the source you are using.
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Examples
Case with only a neutral citation
Footnote
Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] UKHL 13.
Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] UKHL 13 [43].
Bibliography
Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] UKHL 13.
Case with only a law report citation

Footnote
Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] 1 AC 884.
Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] 1 AC 884, 886.
Bibliography
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Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] 1 AC 884.
Case with both a neutral and law report citation
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Footnote
Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] 1 AC 884.
Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] 1 AC 884, 886.
Bibliography
Corr v IBC Vehicles [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] 1 AC 884.
Unreported cases
Not all cases are reported in a law report series. If a case has a neutral citation then give that, but if there is
no neutral citation (which will always be the case before 2001) give the court and the date of the judgment
in brackets after the party names in italics. There is no need to add the word ‘unreported’. For example
Stubbs v Sayer (Court of Appeal, 8 November 1990).
Cases
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Legislation
General guidance
1. Statutes (Acts) are primary legislation and are referred to by their short title and year of enactment.
2. If you include the name of the statute and the relevant section and year in your text, there is no need
to use a footnote. For example, the statement ‘This case highlights the far-reaching judicial role
ushered in my the Human Rights Act 1998’ does not require a footnote.
3. Statutory Instruments (SI) are examples of secondary legislation and may also be known as Orders,
Regulations or Rules.
4. Statutory Instruments are numbered consecutively throughout the year and this number is
combined with the year and the abbreviation ‘SI’ to give a unique identifying number. For example SI
2014/1291.
5. Statutes are divided into parts, sections, subsections, paragraphs and subparagraphs. The main text
of the statute may be supplemented by schedules which are divided into paragraphs and
subparagraphs. Use the appropriate abbreviation:
For Statutes (Acts)

part/parts pt/pts
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section/sections s/ss
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subsection/subsections sub-s/sub-ss
paragraph/paragraphs para/paras
subparagraph/subparagraphs subpara/subparas
schedule/schedules sch/schs
For SIs
regulation/regulations reg/regs
rule/rules r/rr
article/articles art/arts
Creating a footnote for a statute

1. Start with the short title of the statute followed by the year. End the footnote with a full stop.
2. To refer to a specific part or section, insert a comma after the year and use the relevant abbreviation
and the part number.
3. If referring to a paragraph or subsection within a section, just use the abbreviation for section.
4. If you are referring to a statute several times during a piece of work, you can use an abbreviated
form of the title and the year in subsequent footnotes, provided your reader has been alerted in
advance. The first time you cite a statute use the short title and year and put the abbreviation
Legislation
(usually the first letters of the main words in the title) in brackets afterwards —for example, Human
Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998). When you next refer to the statute you can use HRA 1998.
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Examples
Footnote
Human Rights Act 1998.
When referring to a specific section
Human Rights Act 1998, s 7.
When referring to a subsection within a section
Human Rights Act 1998, s 15(1).
Bibliography
Human Rights Act 1998.
Explanatory notes of a statute

Footnote
Explanatory Notes to the Charities Act 2006.
Explanatory Notes to the Charities Act 2006, para 15.
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Bibliography
Explanatory Notes to the Charities Act 2006.
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Creating a footnote for a statutory instrument
1. Start with the title of the SI, the year and after a comma insert the SI number. End the footnote with
a full stop.
2. To refer to a specific part, insert a comma after the SI number and use the relevant abbreviation and
the part number.
3. As with statutes, an abbreviated form of an SI title and year can be used if you are referring to the
same SI a number of times, provided you notify your reader in advance by putting the abbreviated
form in brackets after the first full citation.
Examples
Footnote
The Compulsory Purchase (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 2007, SI 2007/3617.
The Compulsory Purchase (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 2007, SI 2007/3617, reg 7(2).
Bibliography
The Compulsory Purchase (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 2007, SI 2007/3617.
Legislation
Rules of court
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The Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and their predecessors the Rules of the Supreme Court (RSC) and the
County Court Rules (CCR) may be sited directly, without reference to their Statutory Instrument number.
Examples
Footnote
CPR 7.
RSC Ord 24, r 14A.
CCR Ord 17, r 11.
Bibliography
CPR 7.
RSC Ord 24.
CCR Ord 17.
CPR Practice Directions are referred to by number, according to the part or rule they supplement.
Examples
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Footnote
6A PD 4.1.
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7A PD 8.2.
Bibliography
6A PD.
7A PD .
Legislation
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Official publications
General guidance
1. An official publication is any document issued by an organisation that can be described as an official
or public body. Official publications are generally available to the wider public.
2. OSCOLA does not provide examples for how to cite documents from every kind of public body.
Sometimes you will have to create a footnote by following the guidance for a similar document type.
The important thing to remember is to be consistent. The basic format for citing documents for
which there is no other guidance is as follows:
Author, |’title’ | (additional information, | publisher | year).

3. Additional information may include a document number or a document description and any other
information that will help your reader to locate the source. It may be that no publisher can be
identified or perhaps it may be more appropriate to include a publication date rather than just a
year. If a publication is available only online, give the web address and the date of access as
described in the Web sites section.
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Creating a footnote for Hansard
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1. Hansard is the record of debates in Parliament, both in the House of Commons (HC) and the House
of Lords (HL). A further series records debates in the Public Bill committees of the House of
Commons.
2. When citing Hansard, start with the House abbreviation (HL or HC) followed by ‘Deb’ then the full
date, volume and the column (Hansard is still available in print and uses columns). Use ‘col’ or ‘cols’
to refer to a specific column(s). End your footnote with a full stop.
3. In the House of Commons, written answers are indicated by a ‘W’ after the column number. In the
House of Lords they are indicated by the prefix ‘WA’ before the column number.
Examples
House of Commons Hansard
Footnote
HC Deb 3 February 1977, vol 389, cols 76-97.
HC Deb 4 July 1996, vol 280, col 505W.
House of Lords Hansard

Footnote
HL Deb 12 November 2009, vol 714, col 893.
HL Deb 21 July 2005, vol 673, col WA261.
Bibliography
In your bibliography, list the debates in date order, starting with the oldest. Use the same format as your
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footnote. Official publications should be listed in the Secondary Sources section of your bibliography. For
example:
HC Deb 3 February 1977, vol 389, cols 76-97.

HC Deb 4 July 1996, vol 280, col 505W.
HL Deb 21 July 2005, vol 673, col WA261.
HL Deb 12 November 2009, vol 714, col 893.
Creating a footnote for Command Papers and Law Commission Reports

1. Command Papers include White and Green papers, government responses to select committee
reports and reports of committees of inquiry.
2. Start with the name of the department or body that produced the paper. Give the title of the paper
in italics followed by the command paper number, a comma and the year in round brackets. If there
is additional information which will help your reader, insert that in the round brackets before the
command paper number. End your footnote with a full stop.
3. Every command paper number has an abbreviation before it, determined by the year of publication.
For example the abbreviation Cmd means the paper was published between 1919-1956. Make sure
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you record the abbreviation correctly as noted in the paper.
4. For Law Commission reports, start with ‘Law Commission’ followed by a comma. Give the title of the
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paper in italics followed by ‘Law Com’ and the report number, a comma and the year in round
brackets. End your footnote with a full stop.
Examples
Footnote
Home Office, Report of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (Cmnd 8932, 1953).
Law Commission, Reforming Bribery (Law Com No 313, 2008).
When referring to a specific page or paragraph
Home Office, Report of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (Cmnd 8932, 1953) 53.
Law Commission, Reforming Bribery (Law Com No 313, 2008) para 25.
Bibliography
Home Office, Report of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (Cmnd 8932, 1953).
Creating a footnote for parliamentary reports

When referring to select committees of either House or joint committees of both Houses, start with the
name of the committee followed by a comma. Follow this with the title of the report in italics, then in
round brackets put ‘HC’ or ‘HL’ and the parliamentary session followed by a comma and the paper number.
If there is a volume number, put a dash after the paper number, inserting the volume number in Roman
numerals. End your footnote with a full stop.
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Examples
Footnote
Science and Technology Committee, Setting Priorities for Publicly Funded Research (HL 2009-10, 104-I).
Science and Technology Committee, Setting Priorities for Publicly Funded Research (HL 2009-10, 104-I) para
273.
When referring to a joint committee report
Joint Committee on Human Rights, Legislative Scrutiny: Child Poverty Bill (2008-09, HL183, HC1114).
Bibliography
Science and Technology Committee, Setting Priorities for Publicly Funded Research (HL 2009-10, 104-I).
Joint Committee on Human Rights, Legislative Scrutiny: Child Poverty Bill (2008-09, HL183, HC1114).
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EU Sources
General guidance
1. Official notices of the EU are published in the Official Journal of the European Communities
(abbreviated to OJ). The OJ citation has the year first, in square brackets, then OJ series (‘L’ for
legislation’, ‘C’ for information and notices, ‘S’ for invitations to tender), number/page.
2. The official law reports are the European Court Reports (ECR) and the next authoritative reports are
the Common Market Law Reports (CMLR). EU cases now have a European Case Law Identifier (see
point 4) to facilitate consistent citation and ease retrieval.
3. EU cases are numbered according to whether they were first registered at the European Court of
Justice (cases will have the prefix C-) or the Court of First Instance (cases will have the prefix T-).
Cases before 1989 do not have the prefix C-.
4. The European Case Law Identifier (ECLI) was introduced in 2011 so all Member States and EU courts
use the same format to identify case law and it works in a similar way to a neutral citation. An ECLI
consists of the country code, the code of the court giving the judgment, the year of the judgment
and the judgment number. Each component is separated by a colon. For example EU:C:2015:298. An
ECLI has been assigned to all decisions delivered by EU courts since 1954.
5. Much EU documentation is available from official web sites, such as Europa. For guidance on how to
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cite web documents, see the Web sites section.
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Creating a footnote for EU legislation
1. When referring to EU treaties give the title (including amendments if applicable) followed by the year
of publication in square brackets, the OJ series and the issue and page numbers. Legislation is
published in the ‘L’ series although older treaties were published in the ‘C’ series.
2. Cite Regulations, Directives, Decisions, Recommendations and Opinions by giving the legislation type,
number and title, followed by the OJ publication details.
3. From 1 January 2015 EU legislation has a unique sequential number and should be cited in the
format (Domain/Body), Year/Number. Document numbering before this date remains unchanged.
4. If you are referring to a piece of EU legislation several times during a piece of work, you can use an
abbreviated form of the title in subsequent footnotes, provided your reader has been alerted in
advance. The first time you cite the legislation use the full title and put the short form of the title in
brackets afterwards. For example, Council Directive (EC) 93/104 concerning aspects of the
organisation of working time [1993] OJ L307/18 (Working Time Directive).
Examples
EU Treaty/Protocol
Footnote
Consolidated Version of the Treaty on European Union [2012] OJ C326/13.
When referring to a specific article
EU Sources
Consolidated Version of the Treaty on European Union [2012] OJ C326/13, art 16(1).
Bibliography
Consolidated Version of the Treaty on European Union [2012] OJ C326/13.
17
EU Regulation/Directive/Decision/Recommendation/Opinion
Before 1 January 2015
Footnote
Council Regulation (EC) 1984/2003 of 8 April 2003 introducing a system for the statistical monitoring of
trade in Bluefin tuna, swordfish and big eye tuna within the Community [2003] OJ L295/1.
trade in Bluefin tuna, swordfish and big eye tuna within the Community [2003] OJ L295/1, para 21.
Bibliography
After 1 January 2015

Footnote
Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/1198 of 22 July 2016 amending Annex V to Regulation (EC) No
1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products.
<<<
Back to contents
1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products, para 51.
Bibliography
1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products.
EU Retained legislation
Retained EU law is defined in s 6(7) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as:
‘anything which, on or after [31st December 2020], continues to be, or forms part of, domestic law by virtue
of section 2, 3, 4 or 6(3) & 6(6) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as that body of law is added
to or otherwise modified by or under this Act or by other domestic law from time to time)’.
Generally, retained EU legislation uses the same title and citation as the EU original. The UK may modify the
title of retained EU legislation to ensure the title makes sense in the domestic context. For example, UK
GDPR has been adopted as a title although the bulk of the text remains the same as the EU version.
OSCOLA distinguishes EU legislation by using the OJ reference in long titles and ‘EU’ in short titles. For UK
retained legislation use the word ‘Retained’ in long titles and ‘UK’ in short titles.
Examples
EU version
Footnote
EU Sources
Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection
of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data,
and repealing Directive 95/46/EC [2016] OJ L 119/1 (EU GDPR).
18

and repealing Directive 95/46/EC [2016] OJ L 119/1 (EU GDPR), para 21.
Bibliography
and repealing Directive 95/46/EC [2016] OJ L 119/1 (EU GDPR).
UK Retained version
Footnote
Retained Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the
protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of
such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (UK GDPR).

<<<
such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (UK GDPR), para 38.
Back to contents
Bibliography
such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (UK GDPR).
Creating a footnote for EU case law

1. Start with the case number followed by the case name in italics.
2. Next comes the ECLI if you have one followed by the official citation in the European Court Reports
(ECR) or the Common Market Law Reports (CMLR).
3. End your footnote with a full stop. Unreported judgments should be cited using just the ECLI.
Examples
EU case with only an ECLI
Footnote
Case C-542/09 Commission v the Netherlands EU:C:2012:346.
Case C-542/09 Commission v the Netherlands EU:C:2012:346 para 5.
Bibliography where EU cases are listed separately
C-542/09 Commission v the Netherlands EU:C:2012:346.
EU Sources
Bibliography where EU cases are not listed separately

Commission v the Netherlands (C-542/09) EU:C:2012:346.
19
EU case with an ECLI and a law report citation

Footnote
Case C-176/03 Commission v Council EU:C:2005:542, [2005] ECR 1-7879.
Case C-176/03 Commission v Council EU:C:2005:542, [2005] ECR 1-7879, para 10.
Bibliography where EU cases are listed separately
C-176/03 Commission v Council EU:C:2005:542, [2005] ECR 1-7879.
Bibliography where EU cases are not listed separately
Commission v Council (C-176/03) EU:C:2005:542, [2005] ECR 1-7879.
Creating a footnote for EU official documents

Start with the body that produced the document followed by a comma. Follow that with the document title
in single quotation marks. If the paper is of a particular type and it is not clear from the title, then you can
include a description in round brackets. Next is the document number, which might also include an
abbreviation such as COM or SEC, followed by a comma and the date (include the day, month and year if
<<<
you have it). End your footnote with a full stop.
Example
Back to contents
Footnote
Commission, ‘Access of Consumers to Justice and the Settlement of Consumer Disputes in the Single
Market’ (Green Paper) COM (93) 576 final, 16 November 1993.
Market’ (Green Paper) COM (93) 576 final, 16 November 1993, para 38.
Bibliography
Market’ (Green Paper) COM (93) 576 final, 16 November 1993.
EU Sources
20
The European Court of Human Rights
Creating a footnote for ECHR cases

For judgments of the European Court of Human Rights cite either the official Reports of Judgments and
Decisions (ECHR) or the European Human Rights Reports (EHRR). For unreported judgments, include the
Application Number after the case name in italics, followed by the date of the judgment in round brackets.
End your footnote with a full stop.
European Court of Human Rights case

Footnote
Omojudi v UK (2010) 51 EHRR 10.
Omojudi v UK (2010) 51 EHRR 10, 16.
Bibliography
Omojudi v UK (2010) 51 EHRR 10.
<<<
European Court of Human Rights unreported case
Back to contents
Footnote
Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECHR, 20 July 2004).
Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECHR, 20 July 2004), para 29.
Bibliography
Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECHR, 20 July 2004).
European Court of Human Rights
21
International sources
General guidance
1. Where possible, refer to the primary international treaty series, such as the United Nations Treaty
Series (UNTS), the Consolidated Treaty Series (CTS) or the League of Nations Treaty Series (LNTS). The
official treaty series of one of the parties, for example the UK Treaty Series (UKTS) can also be used.
2. Cite the full date on which the treaty was opened for signature. If this is not available the give the
date the treaty entered into force or failing that, the date the treaty was signed or adopted.
3. A shortened version of the title may be used in subsequent references provided the shortened
version is given in round brackets after the first full citation in your work.
4. References to articles should only give the article number, not the title of the article.
5. Where possible, for international judgments refer to the International Court of Justice Reports (ICJ)
otherwise refer to the ICJ web site. If referring to the web site, remember to include the web address
in <angled brackets> and the date of access.
Creating a footnote for an international treaty

1. Start with the title of the Treaty.
<<<
2. In round brackets put ‘adopted’ and the day, month and year if available, followed by a comma, then
‘entered into force’ and the day, month and year before closing the brackets.
Back to contents
3. Insert the volume number and the abbreviation of the treaty series to which you are referring, and
the page number.
4. If appropriate, you can include a short title or abbreviation for the treaty for use in later references.
End your footnote with a full stop.
Example
Footnote
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (adopted 16 December 1966, entered into force 23
March 1976) 999 UNTS 171 (ICCPR).
When referring to a specific article
March 1976) 999 UNTS 171 (ICCPR) art 62.
Bibliography
March 1976) 999 UNTS 171 (ICCPR).
Creating a footnote for an international judgment

Start with the case name in italics and then include information on the type of case, such as Advisory
Opinion or Application for Intervention, in round brackets . Follow that with the year, in square or round
brackets, the abbreviation for the law report series and the number of the first page. If referring to an
official website instead, include the URL in angled brackets and the date of access.
22
Example
Footnote
Corfu Channel Case (UK v Albania) (Merits) [1949] ICJ Rep 4.
Obligation to Negotiate Access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v Chile) (Pending) ICJ Press release 2018/16
<http://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/153> accessed 9 September 2018.
Corfu Channel Case (UK v Albania) (Merits) [1949] ICJ Rep 4, 11.
Bibliography
Corfu Channel Case (UK v Albania) (Merits) [1949] ICJ Rep 4.
Obligation to Negotiate Access to the Pacific Ocean (Bolivia v Chile) (Pending) ICJ Press release 2018/16
<http://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/153>.
Cases and legislation from other jurisdictions

Cite cases and legislation from other jurisdictions as they are cited within their own jurisdictions, but
without any full stops in the abbreviations. Essentially, you’re aiming to create a footnote that corresponds
<<<
with the main principles of the OSCOLA style.
Back to contents
Citing other types of international source
For more detailed guidance on citing international law sources, refer to the international section of the
2006 version of OSCOLA found in the Style Guides section of the Library OSCOLA Referencing guide
https://libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/referencing/oscola
23
Web sites
General guidance
1. When citing web sources in your work it is important to evaluate the information to for reliability.
Some web sites can be valuable sources of free legal information, but remember that anyone can
post information to the internet. You must be confident that the sources you rely on in your
academic work are reliable and of good quality.
2. Check first whether there is guidance elsewhere in OSCOLA for citing a particular document type. For
example, if the document has a C, Cd, Cmd, Cmnd or Cm number follow the guidance on how to cite
a command paper. Or if the document has an ISBN cite it as a book.
3. In general, you include a web address if the document is only available online, or if the web address
is particularly helpful for finding the document. You should avoid citing references that end in .pdf
and try to reference the web page on which the pdf document is hosted.
4. Never cite web addresses that are the result of a database search. Remember to cite the source, not
the tool used to locate it: never cite Westlaw UK or Lexis Library as sources, but cite the primary and
secondary sources you find when using those search tools.
Creating a footnote
<<<
1. If the web document you want to cite does not fall into any other source category, start with the
author followed by a comma and then the title of the document in single quotation marks. Follow
Back to contents
with the title of the website in italics and the date of publication if there is one, all in round brackets.
Add the web site address in <angled brackets> and the date of access. End with a full stop.
2. If there is no personal or corporate author, start the footnote with the title of the web page.
However, is the source reliable if you do not know who wrote it? Remember you need to cite
reliable, good quality sources to back up your arguments.
Example
Footnote
Sarah Cole, ‘Virtual Friend Fires Employee’ (Naked Law, 1 May 2009) <http://www.nakedlaw.com/2009/05/
index.html> accessed 19 November 2009.
Bibliography
Cole S, ‘Virtual Friend Fires Employee’ (Naked Law, 1 May 2009) <http://www.nakedlaw.com/2009/05/
index.html> accessed 19 November 2009.
Web sites
24
Media sources
General guidance
1. Where OSCOLA doesn’t provide direct guidance for a specific secondary source, the general princi-
ples for citing secondary sources can be used.
2. The general principles for citing secondary sources follow the format: Author, | ‘Title’ | (additional
information, | publisher | year).
3. Additional information may be a document number or description and any other information that
may help your reader to locate the source. The publisher may be a government body or organisation,
or it may be that no publisher is identifiable. Depending on the source, it may be more useful to pro-
vide a specific publication date, rather than the year. Remember that if a source is only available
online, include the URL and the date of access as described in the Web sites section.
4. If you wish to use an abbreviated name for the source in subsequent citations, include the short ver-
sion in brackets at the end of the first full citation.
See below for some specific examples.
Television programmes
<<<
Footnote
Sima Kotecha, ‘Sex Education: The LGBT Debate in Schools’ (Panorama, BBC1 15 July 2019) < https://
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006w9l> accessed 10 December 2019.
Back to contents
Bibliography
Kotecha, S. ‘Sex Education: The LGBT Debate in Schools’ (Panorama, BBC1 15 July 2019) < https://
Radio broadcasts
Footnote
Simon Tonking, ‘Jury Trial’ (BBC Radio 4, 1 May 2010) www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s3gq7> accessed 15
February 2021.
Bibliography
Tonking, S. ‘Jury Trial’ (BBC Radio 4, 1 May 2010) www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s3gq7> accessed 15
February 2021.
Podcasts/YouTube
Footnote
Douglas Guilfoyle, ‘The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: Origins and Importance’ (14 August 2013)
<www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SOqz1Yu8tY> accessed 15 April 2020.
British Medical Journal podcast, ‘Insanity in the Dock’ (20 July 2012) <www.bmj.com/podcast/2012/07/20/
insanity-dock> accessed 15 April 2020.
Bibliography
Media sources
Douglas Guilfoyle, ‘The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: Origins and Importance’ (14 August 2013)
<www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SOqz1Yu8tY> accessed 15 April 2020.
British Medical Journal podcast, ‘Insanity in the Dock’ (20 July 2012) <www.bmj.com/podcast/2012/07/20/
insanity-dock> accessed 15 April 2020.
25
If you are referring to comments by someone in particular, add that information as you would a pinpoint,
before the URL. Include the person’s position, if relevant.
Example
Footnote
British Medical Journal podcast, ‘Insanity in the Dock (20 July 2012) comments by Matthew Thompson,
Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Oxford <www.bmj.com/podcast/2012/07/20/insanity-dock> accessed
15 April 2020.
Bibliography
British Medical Journal podcast, ‘Insanity in the Dock (20 July 2012) comments by Matthew Thompson,
Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, Oxford <www.bmj.com/podcast/2012/07/20/insanity-dock> accessed
15 April 2020.
If the podcast is quite long, you may wish to provide the time of the excerpt.
Example
Footnote
British Medical Journal podcast, ‘Insanity in the Dock’ (20 July 2012) 10:30—10:45 <www.bmj.com/
<<<
podcast/2012/07/20/insanity-dock> accessed 15 April 2020.
Bibliography
Back to contents
British Medical Journal podcast, ‘Insanity in the Dock’ (20 July 2012) 10:30—10:45 <www.bmj.com/
podcast/2012/07/20/insanity-dock> accessed 15 April 2020.
Media sources
26
Creating a bibliography
At the end of your piece of work you need to include a bibliography which lists all the sources you have re-
ferred to in the text. In many cases the references in your bibliography look the same as your footnotes,
but for some sources you do need to make changes to the way the information is presented. Your bibliog-
raphy will usually have three sections: a Table of Cases, a Table of Legislation and Secondary Sources, which
includes books, journal articles and any other documents which provide legal commentary and opinion.
Your bibliography is not included in your word count.
Table of cases
This comes first in your bibliography.
1. Do not put case names in italics. Split the table into separate sections for different jurisdictions, with
headings, if you have a lot of cases.
2. List cases in alphabetical order of the first major word for example Re Farquar’s Estate would be
listed as Farquar’s Estate, Re.
3. Cases identifying parties by initial should be listed under the initial, so Re G (A Child) would be listed
as G (A Child), Re.
4. If you have a separate section for EU cases, list them chronologically with the case number first but
<<<
leave out the word ‘Case’. For example Case C-542/09 Commission v the Netherlands EU:C:2012:346
becomes C-542/09 Commission v the Netherlands EU:C:2012:346.
5. If EU cases are not listed separately you should arrange them alphabetically by first party name with-
Back to contents
in the Table of Cases, with the case number following the name of the case in brackets. For example
Case C-176/03 Commission v Council EU:C:2005:542 becomes Commission v Council (C-176/03)
EU:C:2005:542, [2005] ECR 1-7879.
Table of legislation
This follows the table of cases
1. List every statute cited in your work in alphabetical order of the first significant word of the title (not
by date), followed by any statutory instruments.
2. Do not include section or sub-section information.
3. If you are citing legislation from more than one jurisdiction, consider using separate lists with appro-
priate headings, such as International Treaties, for example.
Secondary sources
This is where you list books, journal articles, and any other sources you have cited within your work.
1. Arrange the sources in alphabetical order of author surname followed by the author’s initial(s) and a
comma. Do not use author’s full first names in the bibliography.
2. If there is no author, list in alphabetical order of the first major word of the title.
3. If you are citing several works by the same author, list the works chronologically starting with the
oldest. If you are citing works by the same author published in the same year, list them alphabetically
within the year.
4. When citing multiple works by the same author, after the first citation you can use a double em-dash
in place of the author’s name (--). For example:
27
Hart HLA, Law, Liberty and Morality (OUP 1963).

--’Varieties of Responsibility’ (1967) 83 LQR 346.
5. Capitalise the major words in both the main title and any sub-titles.
Example Bibliography
Table of Cases
Chapman v UK (2001) 33 EHRR 18.
Lucasfilm Ltd v Ainsworth [2012] 1 AC 208.
R v Onasanya (Fiona Oluyinka) [2019] EWCA Crim 450.
Commission v Council (C-176/03) EU:C:2005:542, [2005] ECR 1-7879.
Table of Legislation
Consolidated Version of the Treaty of European Union [2012] OJ 326/13.
<<<
Consumer Protection Act 1987.
Back to contents
Penalties for Disorderly Behaviour (Amendment of Minimum Age) Order 2004, SI 2004/3166.
Secondary Sources
Baron P and Corbin L, Legal Writing : Academic and Professional Communication (OUP 2016).
Craig P, ‘Theory, “Pure Theory” and Values in Public Law’ [2005] PL 440.
Couchman H, ‘Policing by Machine’ (Liberty 2019) <https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/sites/default/

files/LIB%2011%20Predictive%20Policing%20Report%20WEB.pdf> accessed 25 October 2019.
Giannoulopoulos D, Improperly Obtained Evidence in Anglo-American and Continental Law (Hart Publishing
2019).
House of Commons Exiting the European Union Committee, The consequences of “No Deal” for UK business
(HC 2017-19, 2560).
Kotecha, S. ‘Sex Education: The LGBT Debate in Schools’ (Panorama, BBC1 15 July 2019) < https://
Lippke R, ‘Fundamental Values of Criminal Procedure’ in Darryl Brown and others (eds), The Oxford Hand-
book of Criminal Process (OUP 2019).
Yowell C, ‘Is Miller (No 2) the UK’s Bush v Gore?’ (UK Constitutional Law Association, 7 October 2019)
<https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2019/10/07/paul-yowell-is-miller-no-2-the-uks-bush-v-gore/> accessed
25 October 2019.
28
OSCOLA Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the questions students ask most often about the OSCOLA referencing style. Check to see if your
question in answered here; if not, send an email to robyn.orr@liverpool.ac.uk for help.
What if OSCOLA hasn’t got guidance for my source type?

OSCOLA is not definitive and sometimes you may need to interpret the guidance rather than follow a
specific example, particularly for secondary sources. The important thing here is to be consistent.
If there is an example for a similar source type, follow that. If a source has an ISBN (a 13 digit number which
you’ll find on the publication details page) then cite it as a book. Failing that, you can follow the general
principles for citing secondary sources which follows the format:
Author, | ‘Title’ | (additional information, | publisher | year).
Additional information may be a document number or description, a date of adoption and any other
information that may help your reader to locate the source. The publisher may be a government body or
organisation, or it may be that no publisher is identifiable. Depending on the source, it may be more useful
to provide a specific publication date, rather than the year. Remember that if a source is only available
<<<
online, include the URL and the date of access as described in the Web sites section.
If you wish to use an abbreviated name for the source in subsequent citations, include the short version in
Back to contents
brackets at the end of the first full citation.
Example
Footnote
Lord Bingham, ‘Keynote Address’ (Liberty conference, London, 6 June 2009) <http://www.liberty-human-
rights.org.uk/publications/3-articles-and-speeches/index.shtml> accessed 19 November 2018.
Bibliography
Lord Bingham, ‘Keynote Address’ (Liberty conference, London, 6 June 2009) <http://www.liberty-human-
rights.org.uk/publications/3-articles-and-speeches/index.shtml> accessed 19 November 2018.
How do I refer to multiple sources within a footnote?

Use a semi-colon to separate multiple references within the same footnote. If you are citing legislation and
case law within the same footnote, put the legislation before the cases, separated by a semi-colon. If you
are citing case law and/or legislation alongside sources such as books or journal articles, put the case law/
legislation first. Remember to check whether footnotes are included in your word count; if they are, only
include multiple sources within a footnote if they are really necessary. Choose the source which backs up
your argument most effectively.
How do I refer to the same source several times without using all my word count?
If you want to repeatedly refer to the same source, there are ways you can do this which minimise the
OSCOLA FAQ
impact on your word count. If a subsequent citation is in the footnote immediately following the full
citation, use ‘ibid’. Used alone, ‘ibid’ means ‘in the very same place’ while ‘ibid 345’ means ‘in the same
work, but this time at page 345’. If there are other footnotes in between the original footnote and the next
time the source is cited, use a shortened version of the source name, for example one of the parties in a
29
case, an abbreviation of a statute or an author’s surname, with a cross-citation in brackets to the footnote
with the full citation (n).
Examples
1
Austin v Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis [2009] AC 564. full citation the first time
2
ibid 567. citation immediately after the full citation, so you can use ibid
10
Austin (n 1) 565. a citation later in the work, with a shortened version of the case name and a cross-
reference to the full citation
You can continually use ibid until you want to refer to a different source and you can use ibid after a cross-
reference. However, if you do find that you are continually referring to the same source throughout your
work or using ibid several times in succession, consider re-wording your paragraphs to minimise the
number of repeat footnotes. This may make your academic writing style more succinct.
How do I include web links in footnotes?

Include links to web documents if OSCOLA tells you to for that particular source type. Do not include links
to databases such as Westlaw or Lexis. It does not matter which database contains the information you are
using, what is important is the original source of law or opinion.
<<<
Can I cite a source I read about in another source? (secondary referencing)
Back to contents
Sometimes you may want to cite a source that has been referred to in another source. For example you
might wish to cite a case you read about in a textbook. This is known as secondary referencing and should
be avoided. You should always try to read the original source and cite it directly, rather than someone else’s
interpretation of it. However if you cannot locate the original work you can still cite it. If you are citing a
case within a case, you insert ‘citing’ between the case citations. If you are referring to a source cited within
a book or article, you use ‘as cited in’. In your bibliography you cite only the source you have actually read.
For example:
Example: case cited within a textbook

Footnote
Hentrich v France (1994) 18 EHRR 40 (as cited in Peter Aldridge, Money Laundering Law (Hart Publishing
2003) 64).
Bibliography
Aldridge P, Money Laundering Law (Hart Publishing 2003).
Example: case citing another case

Footnote
Barrett v Enfield LBC [2001] 2 AC 550 (HL) citing Miles v Wakefield Borough Council [1987] AC 39.
Bibliography
Miles v Wakefield Borough Council [1987] AC 39.
OSCOLA FAQ
How do I incorporate quotations into my work?

Quotations—direct copying word for word from a text—should ideally be kept short. Short quotations
should be incorporated into your text and indicated by single quotation marks.
30
Example
The Chief Justice explained that this power ‘is not limited to defence against aggression from a foreign
nation’.28
Quotations of longer than three lines should be presented as an indented paragraph without quotation
marks but with a line space either side.
Example
Lord Hoffman reasoned as follows:
It seems to me logical to found liability for damages upon the intention of the parties (objectively
ascertained) because all contractual liability is voluntarily undertaken. It must be in principle wrong
to hold someone liable for risks for which people entering into such a contract in their particular
market, would not reasonably be considered to have undertaken.12
August 2022
<<<
Back to contents
OSCOLA FAQ
31
Adapted from OSCOLA(4th edn, Hart 2012)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 UK: Eng-
land & Wales License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 UK)
You can access the full OSCOLA referencing guide as

a pdf document at https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/
research-subject-groups/publications/oscola
For further help with referencing see the OSCOLA

Referencing Library Guide https://
libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/referencing/oscola
and the support available via KnowHow https://
libguides.liverpool.ac.uk/knowhow

OSCOLA Quick Guide 2022 23

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Referencing Quick Guide

The OSCOLA referencing style

Creating the footnote

Book with two authors

Book with three authors

Book with more than three authors

Chapter in an edited book

Halsbury’s Laws (5th edn, 2010) vol 57.

Print article with a volume number

Online journal articles

Andrew Ashworth [2006] Crim LR 441, 443 (note).

whichever style of brackets is given in the source you are using.

Case with only a law report citation

Case with both a neutral and law report citation

For Statutes (Acts)

Creating a footnote for a statute

Explanatory notes of a statute

Author, |’title’ | (additional information, | publisher | year).

House of Lords Hansard

HC Deb 3 February 1977, vol 389, cols 76-97.

Creating a footnote for Command Papers and Law Commission Reports

Creating a footnote for parliamentary reports

After 1 January 2015

When referring to a specific paragraph

When referring to a specific paragraph

Creating a footnote for EU case law

Bibliography where EU cases are not listed separately

EU case with an ECLI and a law report citation

Creating a footnote for EU official documents

The European Court of Human Rights

Creating a footnote for ECHR cases

European Court of Human Rights case

European Court of Human Rights

Creating a footnote for an international treaty

Creating a footnote for an international judgment

Cases and legislation from other jurisdictions

Hart HLA, Law, Liberty and Morality (OUP 1963).

Lucasfilm Ltd v Ainsworth [2012] 1 AC 208.

R v Onasanya (Fiona Oluyinka) [2019] EWCA Crim 450.

Commission v Council (C-176/03) EU:C:2005:542, [2005] ECR 1-7879.

Couchman H, ‘Policing by Machine’ (Liberty 2019) <https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/sites/default/

Law Commission, Reforming Bribery (Law Com No 313, 2008).

OSCOLA Frequently Asked Questions

What if OSCOLA hasn’t got guidance for my source type?

How do I refer to multiple sources within a footnote?

How do I include web links in footnotes?

Example: case cited within a textbook

Example: case citing another case

How do I incorporate quotations into my work?

You can access the full OSCOLA referencing guide as

For further help with referencing see the OSCOLA

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