AGLC4 Rule 2.2.2: Law Report Series

Always cite the authorised report where one exists. Otherwise take the highest available version in the order of preference in the table. If the only report is partial and leaves out the part relied on, cite the case as unreported under rule 2.3.

AGLC4 page 50

Formatting

  • Report series abbreviations are roman and carry no full stops.
  • An authorised report outranks a generalist unauthorised report, which outranks a subject-specific unauthorised report, which outranks a medium neutral citation, which outranks an unreported citation without one.
  • A medium neutral citation, when used, puts the year in square brackets, then the court identifier and judgment number, then paragraph pinpoints after a comma.
  • Only one version is cited; the choice is not supplemented with the others (rule 2.2.7).

Examples

Quoted from the Guide, page 50
  1. 60
    Vo v The Queen (2013) 33 NTLR 65. [Not: … [2013] NTCCA 4.]
  2. 61
    Plaintiff M68/2015 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2016) 257 CLR 42. [Not: … (2016) 327 ALR 369.]
  3. 62
    Mar Mina (SA) Pty Ltd v City of Marion (2008) 163 LGERA 24.
  4. 63
    Qantas Airways Ltd v Edwards (2016) 338 ALR 134. [Not: … (2016) 119 IPR 271.]
  5. 64
    Tobacco Control Coalition Inc v Philip Morris (Australia) Ltd [2000] FCA 1004, [69], [74] (Wilcox J). [Not: … (2000) ATPR (Digest) ¶46-205.] [Note: The relevant pinpoints are not contained in the reported version.]

Not

Quoted from the Guide, page 50
  • [Not: … [2013] NTCCA 4.]
    a medium neutral citation is used although an authorised report exists
  • [Not: … (2016) 327 ALR 369.]
    a generalist unauthorised report is used although the authorised report exists
  • [Not: … (2016) 119 IPR 271.]
    a subject-specific report is used although a generalist report exists
  • [Not: … (2000) ATPR (Digest) ¶46-205.]
    the only report is a digest that lacks the pinpointed passage, so the medium neutral citation is used instead

Order of preference for the version of a case to cite, most preferred first

Quoted from the Guide, page 50
VersionExamples
Authorised reportCLR, FCR, VR, NSWLR
Generalist unauthorised reportALR, ALJR, FLR, ACTR
Subject-specific unauthorised reportA Crim R, ACSR, IR, IPR
Unreported (medium neutral citation)HCA, FCA, NSWSC, VSC
Unreported (no medium neutral citation)See rule 2.3.2.

See also

Check your footnotes against these rules

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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.