AGLC4 Rule 1.10.1: Numbers

Numbers below 10 are words, and larger numbers, citation elements, ratios, percentages, decimals and series of related figures are numerals. A sentence never begins with a numeral, and a number of 10 or more may be written out in a proper noun. Numbers of four or more digits take comma separators except years, page and paragraph numbers and identifying numbers. Spans keep only the necessary digits of the second number, except that teens keep both digits, and the same rules apply to ordinals.

AGLC4 page 29

Formatting

  • One to nine in words; 10 and above in numerals.
  • Always numerals for section, page, paragraph, clause and edition numbers and other citation elements.
  • Numerals for ratios, percentages, mathematical expressions and decimals, and for every member of a series of related figures, even those under 10.
  • Never open a sentence with a numeral; write the number (or date) in words.
  • A number of 10 or more may be spelt out where it is part of a proper noun.
  • Four or more digits: a comma between each group of three digits, with no space.
  • No comma grouping for years, page numbers, paragraph numbers or identifying numbers such as postcodes, lot numbers and ACNs.
  • "million" and "billion" are written in full, never "m" or "bn".
  • Spans: the second number keeps only the digits needed, joined by an unspaced en dash; when its last two digits fall between 10 and 19, both are kept.
  • Ordinals follow the same words or numerals rule; the letters of a numeral ordinal above nine are superscript.
  • Percent sign is attached to the numeral with no space.

Example

Quoted from the Guide, page 29
  1. 151
    Wong v Aripin (2011) Aust Torts Reports ¶82-091, 65,131 (Kenneth Martin J).

In the text

five

first 4,150 5 million

21st

5% ninth 52nd

The High Court split 4:3.146

Quoted from the Guide, page 29

The government announced a Ten Point Plan in response to Wik.148

Quoted from the Guide, page 30

In June 2008, the Minister informed the Senate that as of 7 May 2008 there were 25 people in immigration detention following the cancellation of their visas. Of those 25 persons, only 1 had been in Australia for less than 5 years, with the remaining 24 having been in Australia for between 11 and 45 years prior to visa cancellation.150

Quoted from the Guide, page 30

Forms in the rule

Quoted from the Guide, page 29
  • ‘87–8’
  • ‘436–62’
  • ‘11–14’
  • ‘215–19’
  • ‘40th’
  • 4,150
  • 5 million
  • 21st
  • 5%
  • 4:3
  • Ten Point Plan

See also

Check your footnotes against these rules

Paste your paper into the free AGLC4 checker and each footnote is graded against the Guide, with the rule it breaks. To write a citation from scratch, use the AGLC4 citation generator.

AGLC4 citation checker AGLC4 citation generator

Formats, examples, passages, tables and the forms marked Not are quoted from the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th ed, Melbourne University Law Review Association, 2018), with the page of the Guide they appear on. Titles, summaries and explanations are our own.