Kara Sears
Referencing old UK laws can be a complex task due to the variety of sources and formats available. The process can be made more manageable by understanding the type of law being referenced and the specific requirements for different citation styles. For instance, the Harvard referencing style is commonly used for legal materials, including case law and legislation, and involves including the title of the act, year, chapter number, and URL if accessed online. Meanwhile, the OSCOLA style is specifically designed for law references and includes guidance on citing UK legislation, cases, and other sources. Knowing the nuances of each citation style ensures accurate and consistent referencing of old UK laws.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Referencing style | Harvard, OSCOLA |
| Referencing Acts of Parliament | Title of Act including year and chapter (in italics), Country/jurisdiction (if referencing legislation from more than one country) |
| Referencing a Bill | Short title, House in which it originated, Parliamentary session, Running number |
| Referencing a Statute | Title of Act, year, chapter number, URL (if available online), date accessed |
| Referencing a Case Law | Case name, year, title of law report, volume number, page numbers, neutral citation (if post-2001) |
| Referencing Scottish/Welsh/Northern Irish Legislation | Consult Cite Them Right for guidance on Acts of the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Statutory Instruments, Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly, etc. |
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What You'll Learn
Referencing Acts of Parliament
When referencing Acts of Parliament, it is important to note that most legislation is now available online. The general rule for referencing an Act of Parliament (post-1963) in Harvard style is as follows:
The title of the Act, including the year and chapter, should be in italics. If you are referencing legislation from more than one country, include the country or jurisdiction. For example:
> "Health and Social Care Act 2012, c.7. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/7/contents/enacted (Accessed: 8 August 2025)."
If you are referencing a specific section of an Act, your in-text citation would include the relevant section. For example:
> "As defined in section 10(2) of the Children Act 2004..."
Your reference list entry for this citation would then be:
> "Children Act 2004, c. 31. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/contents (Accessed: 8 August 2025)."
When using the OSCOLA (Law) referencing style, the general format for citing a Bill includes the title, the House in which it originated, the Parliamentary session, and the running number. For the House of Commons, use square brackets for the running number, whereas for the House of Lords, simply state the number. For example:
> "Health and Safety at Work (Offences) HC Bill (2002-03) [38]"
> "Harbours HL Bill (2002-03) 24"
If you are referencing a specific clause within a Bill, this should be abbreviated to 'cl' or 'cls' for multiple clauses, with a pinpoint reference to the relevant subpart. For example:
> "Consolidated Fund HC Bill (2008-9) [5], cl 8(2)"
> "Academies HL Bill (2010-11) 1, cl 5(3)"
When referencing Acts of Parliament, always use the full title of the Act and ensure that your citations are consistent and complete, providing all the necessary information for your reader to locate the source.
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Citing a Bill
To cite a UK Bill, you will need to include the following information:
- Title of the Bill
- House in which it originated (House of Commons or House of Lords)
- Parliamentary session
- Running number assigned to it
The format for citing a Bill is as follows:
- Title | HC Bill | (session) | [number]
- Title | HL Bill | (session) | number
For example:
- Health and Safety at Work (Offences) HC Bill (2002-03) [38]
- Academies HL Bill (2010-11) 1, cl 5(3)
Note that the running number changes every time a bill is reprinted. Square brackets are used for House of Commons Bills, while House of Lords Bills are left without brackets.
If you are referencing an Act of Parliament (post-1963), the citation order is as follows:
- Title of Act including year and chapter (in italics)
- Country/jurisdiction (only if referencing legislation from more than one country)
For example:
Health and Social Care Act 2012, c. 7. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2012/7/contents/enacted (Accessed: 23 August 2012).
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Referencing pre-2001 cases
When referencing pre-2001 cases, it is important to note that these cases often do not have a neutral citation. Neutral citations, which are now commonly used for cases from 2001 onwards, include an abbreviation for the relevant court and a number indicating the order in which the case was heard that year. For pre-2001 cases without a neutral citation, the reference should include the 'Name of case', year, title of the law report, volume number, and page numbers. Here is an example of an in-text citation for a pre-2001 case:
> It was decided in the case of 'Bibby Cheshire v. Golden Wonder Ltd' (1972) that...
The corresponding reference list entry for this citation would be:
> 'Bibby Cheshire v. Golden Wonder Ltd' (1972) Weekly Law Reports, 1, pp.
It is worth noting that the citation format for pre-2001 cases may vary depending on the specific style guide being used, such as Harvard or OSCOLA. Additionally, the citation of older acts can be complicated by various factors, including the regnal year, which was used before 1963.
When referencing Acts of Parliament, it is generally recommended to use the short title of the Act, followed by the year in which it was enacted. Here is an example of an in-text citation for an Act of Parliament:
> The legislation (Food Standards Act 1999) states that...
The corresponding reference list entry for this citation would be:
> Food Standards Act 1999, c. 28. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1999/28/contents (Accessed: 30 January 2018).
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Referencing EU legislation
When referencing EU legislation, there are specific formats to follow depending on the type of legislation. The main source for EU legislation is the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ), which comprises two series: the L series, which contains regulations, directives, decisions, recommendations and opinions; and the C series, which contains information and notices.
To cite EU treaties and protocols, give the title of the legislation, including any amendments, followed by the year of publication, the OJ series and the issue and page numbers. It should follow this pattern:
> Legislation title [year] OJ series issue/first page
For example:
> Consolidated Version of the Treaty on European Union [2008] OJ C115/13
To cite European Regulations, Directives, Decisions and Recommendations, use the following format:
> Legislation type | number | title | [year] | OJ L issue/first page
For example:
> Council Directive (EU) 2018/822 of 25 May 2018 amending Directive 2011/16/EU [...] [2018] OJ L139/1
Note that the year comes before the running number in the case of Directives and after in the case of Regulations.
For EU legislation published before 2015, the legislation number is cited as follows: for directives, the year precedes the running number (e.g. Council Directive 2002/60/EC); for regulations, the running number precedes the year (e.g. Council Regulation (EC) 1984/2003). From 1 January 2015, the numbering of EU legislation changed to: year/number.
When citing a Bill, include the title, the House in which it originated, the Parliamentary session in brackets, and the running number assigned to it. For example:
> Title HC Bill (session) [number], clause (subpart)
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Referencing Scottish law
Scots law is a hybrid legal system containing civil law and common law elements. It recognises four sources of law: legislation, legal precedent, specific academic writings, and custom.
When referencing Scottish law, the style guide you use will depend on your institution's preferences. For example, the OSCOLA guide (The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities) is designed to facilitate the accurate citation of legal authorities, legislation, and other legal materials. Another example is the Harvard style, which is used for referencing Acts of Parliament.
When referencing Scottish cases with neutral citations, you can follow the same format as for English and Welsh cases. For example:
> Wilson v Commissioner of Valuation [2009] NICA 30, [2010] NI 48.
Note that case names are not italicised, pinpointing is not used, and there is no full stop at the end of the reference.
When referencing a Bill, include the short title, the House in which it originated, the Parliamentary session, and the running number. For example:
> Title HC Bill (session) [number], clause (subpart)
> Academies HL Bill (2010-11) 1, cl 5(3)
When referencing Acts of Parliament (post-1963), the citation order should be:
> Title of Act including year and chapter (in italics) Country/jurisdiction (only include this if you are referencing legislation from more than one country)
> Health and Social Care Act 2012, c.7
Additionally, when citing sections of Acts, 'section' may be abbreviated to 's', so references may be cited as s 5 (meaning 'section 5').
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Frequently asked questions
To reference an Act of Parliament (post-1963) in Harvard style, the citation order should be: Title of Act including year and chapter (in italics), Country/jurisdiction (only include this if you are referencing legislation from more than one country). For example: *Food Standards Act 1999*, c. 28. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1999/28/contents (Accessed: 30 January 2018).
To reference a Bill, include the Short title, House in which it originated, Bill (Parliamentary session), and Running number. The Running number changes every time the bill is reprinted. Use square brackets for House of Commons Running numbers. For the House of Lords, leave out the brackets and just include the number. For example: *Health and Safety at Work (Offences) HC Bill (2002-03) [38]*.
Cases without a neutral citation tend to be cases that predate 2001. In your reference, include the 'Name of case' (year) title of the law report, volume number, and page numbers. For example: *Bibby Cheshire v. Golden Wonder Ltd (1972) Weekly Law Reports, 1, pp [page numbers]*.
