AGLC4 Rule 8.1: Treaty Title

Cite a treaty by its own title as printed on its first page, set in italics. Leave out procedural parts of that title such as the body that adopted it and the date or place of adoption, and apply the general punctuation and capitalisation rules. Where the title names the parties, keep those names exactly as the title gives them; where only a foreign language version is authoritative, give it in full followed by an English translation in square brackets.

AGLC4 page 133

Formatting

  • The treaty title is italic and follows the rule 1.7 title case conventions.
  • Abbreviations inside the title carry no full stops (rule 1.6).
  • Procedural wording attached to the title, such as the adopting body and the date or place of adoption, is dropped and never kept inside the italics.
  • Party names that form part of the title are reproduced exactly as the title prints them, however elaborate.
  • An authoritative English version of the title is preferred; if none exists, the full original language title is given and followed by a translation in square brackets under chapter 26.
  • A comma follows the italic title before the next element (the parties, or the words opened for signature or signed).
  • The full order of a treaty citation is: italic title, comma, parties where rule 8.2 calls for them, comma, the signature phrase and date, comma, the treaty series, a space, the entry into force bracket, a space, the pinpoint, and a closing full stop.

Example

Quoted from the Guide, page 133
  1. 1
    International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, opened for signature 16 December 1966, 993 UNTS 3 (entered into force 3 January 1976). [Not: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 16 December 1966, opened for signature …]

Not

Quoted from the Guide, page 133
  • [Not: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 16 December 1966, opened for signature …]
    the adoption details are procedural and must be removed from the title

Forms in the rule

Quoted from the Guide, page 133
  • Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, opened for signature 1 July 1968, 729 UNTS 161 (entered into force 5 March 1970) art 3
  • Agreement regarding the Transfer of the Administration of Justice in the Territories of Northern Slesvig, Denmark–Germany, signed 12 July 1921, 8 LNTS 397 (entered into force 17 January 1922) art 2

The elements of a treaty citation and the rule that governs each, as set out in the chapter diagram

Quoted from the Guide, page 133
ElementRule
Treaty Title8.1
Parties’ Names8.2
Date Opened for Signature or Signed8.3
Treaty Series8.4
Date of Entry into Force8.3
Pinpoint8.7

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.