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Each case is assigned a unique citation, or reference. A significant decision may have parallel (multiple) citations if it has been published in several law report series and/or it is available via AustLII or the relevant court’s website.
A source referring to a case, such as a textbook, usually includes the citation. A case's citation/s can also be found by searching with the case/party names in Lexis Advance or Westlaw Australia. This is best practice to confirm the most authoritative version of the case. Note that the BC number in Lexis Advance is their internal numbering system, not a case citation.
Use the below sources to identify what abbreviations in case citations represent.
Lexis Advance CaseBase case records show meanings when hovering the computer mouse over abbreviations. The Appendix in the Australian Guide to Legal Citation print edition also explains abbreviations.
The ability to interpret case citations assists with locating full judgments efficiently and with citing cases correctly. The format and elements of case citations vary depending on where the case has been published.
The abbreviation within a reported case citation represents the law report series the case is published in. These citations have round or square brackets around the year. Refer to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation rule 2.2 for further explanation.
A year enclosed by parentheses signifies:
The case below is reported in volume 101 of the Commonwealth Law Reports, starting on page 298. Click on the blue symbols for a brief description of each citation element.
A year enclosed by square brackets indicates:
The case below is reported in 1993 volume 1 of the Queensland Reports series, starting on page 100. Note that the abbreviation for the Queensland Reports recently changed to QR. Click on the blue symbols for a brief description of each citation element.
Remember that an unreported version of a case should only be used if the case has not been reported in a law report series. Consult a case law research product if you're unsure whether a reported version exists.
The case citation contains a court abbreviation.
Recent cases, or those published on AustLII or the court's website, are assigned a medium neutral citation. The elements of this citation differ from a reported case citation. In the example below, Leahy v Barnes was the two hundred and twenty-sixth case to be heard in the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2013. Click on the blue symbols for a brief description of each citation element. Refer to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation rule 2.3.1 for further explanation.
A linked medium neutral case citation in the law databases will display the unreported version of the case. These versions are also often on AustLII or the relevant court’s website.
Medium neutral citation was introduced in the late 1990's. Prior unreported cases appear in the below format. Refer to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation rule 2.3.2 for further explanation.