library collection primary sources of law o legislation & case law singapore, uk &...
DESCRIPTION
The C J Koh Law Library has a rich collection of local, foreign and international legal resources. The library’s traditional strength is in the common law. Apart from a comprehensive collection of Singapore legal materials, the library also has extensive collections of legal resources from Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The library has developed collections on comparative and international law, international trade law as well as the laws of the European Community. The library’s print collection is bolstered by subscriptions to online legal resources which are available via the NUS Libraries Portal Major databases include HeinOnline, Justis and Lexis Singapore.TRANSCRIPT
Library collection
Primary sources of Law
o Legislation & Case law
Singapore, UK & Australia
Secondary sources of Information
C J Koh Law Library Home page
Subject Guides
The C J Koh Law Library has a rich collection of local, foreignand international legal resources.
The library’s traditional strength is in the common law. Apart from acomprehensive collection of Singapore legal materials, the library also has extensive collections of legal resources from Australia, Canada, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
The library has developed collections on comparative and international law, international trade law as well as the laws of the European Community.
The library’s print collection is bolstered by subscriptions to online legal resources which are available via the NUS Libraries Portalhttp://libportal.nus.edu.sg/. Major databases include HeinOnline, Justis and Lexis Singapore.
Primary sources of law are authoritative publications of law produced by law-making bodies.
The main primary sources of law are:
a. Legislation - Statutes - Subsidiary Legislation/ Statutory Instruments
b. Case law - Decisions of the court
The 2 main sources of legislation in Singapore today are:
I. Statutes of the Republic of Singapore (primary legislation) Print: K7399 1985
II. Subsidiary Legislation of the Republic of Singapore (secondary legislation) Print: K7449 1990
The Legislature, the law-making body in Singapore, is made up of
o the President o the Parliament of Singapore. A Bill becomes law when it iso passed by Parliament and o assented to by the President.But an Act only comes into force ono a date determined by the Minister ando notified by a commencement Notification in the
Gazette.
The Legislative Process
The following is an account of the legislative process in a nutshell.
This relates only to Government Bills.
The passage of the Act or Statute is traced from its origins as a Bill to the time it is gazetted.
The bodies involved and the documents published at each stage of the process are listed.
The Legislative Process
The Legislative Process
From Bill to Act: Attorney-General’s ChambersDrafting and VettingGovernment bill
ParliamentIntroduction/First Reading•Bill•Parliamentary debate
Second Reading•Bill•Parliamentary debate
Committee Stage
Committee of thewhole House•Bill•Parliamentary debate
Select Committee•Bill•Select Committee report
Third Reading•Bill•Parliamentary debate
Presidential Council for Minority Rights Bill
Presidential AssentBill to Act
Government PrinterGazettingAct (comes into force on date determined by Minister in charge of Act and notified by a commencement Notification in the Gazette)
The Legislative Process
From Bill to Act:Bill Supplement Act Supplement
Print: K7499 SB Print: K7399 SA
The Legislative Process
From Bill to Act:
Parliamentary Debate Select Committee Report
Print: J618 SLADPrint: K7524 …
The Legislative Process
The Act and its amendments:
The Act Amendments to ActConsolidation of amendmentsConsolidated Version of Act:Online: http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/
Rules madepursuant to Act:Singapore SubsidiaryLegislationPrint: K7449 1990
Act SupplementE.g. 20 of 1998Print: K7399 SA
Subsidiary LegislationSupplementE.g. S 404/2000Print: K7449 SLS
Substantial amendmentsto Act:Revised Edition of Act(authoritative version)Print: K7399 1985
•Bill•Parliamentary debate/ Select committee report
The Legislative Process
The Act and its amendments:Revised Editions of the Singapore Statutes
1955 Rev. Ed. 1970 Rev. Ed. 1985 Rev. Ed.
Title of Act andChapter No.
Original Act
Current Rev. Ed.Date current Rev. Ed. came into effect
Previous Rev. Eds.
1994 Rev. Ed. amended by:Act Supplements&Subsidiary LegislationSupplements
E.g. Companies Act (Cap. 50, 2006 Rev. Ed. Sing.)
Legislative History
E.g. Companies Act (Cap. 50, 2006 Rev. Ed. Sing.)
The Legislative History of the Companies Act is located towards the back of the Act.
This is a useful research tool as it contains the list of Acts that amended the earlier editions of the Companies Act, together with information on related Parliamentary Debates.
Legislative History
Things to note:
Changes to “Principal Act” (1994 Rev. Ed.) made by:• Amendment Act
• Other amending Acts
Dates ofParliamentaryDebates
Dates of commencementof Amendment &amending Acts
E.g. Companies Act (Cap. 50, 2006 Rev. Ed. Sing.)Legislative History
17
For changes to the 2006 Rev. Ed., refer to the list of amendments to the Companies Act on Singapore Statutes Online: http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/. The legislative history is located in the top panel on the first page.
E.g. Companies Act (Cap. 50, 2006 Rev. Ed. Sing.)Legislative History
Access via LawNet
Online access via LawNet
Today, Acts are laws passed by Parliament and assented to by the President.
In earlier times, bodies like the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements had power to legislate for Singapore. Different terminology was used then to refer to legislation, e.g. Ordinances. Such legislation may still be in force today if they have not been repealed.
Therefore, legislation in force today may emanate from different periods of legislative history (see table on next slide).
History of the Acts
Period Title
1823 Raffles Regulations (validity disputed)
1830 Penang Governor’s Regulations (validity of some disputed)
1830-1834 Bengal Regulations
1834-1867 Indian Acts
1867-1942 Straits Settlements Acts and Ordinances
1942-1945 Japanese Military Administration Proclamations, Legislative Enactments, etc. (all repealed by the British Military Administration after the war)
1945-1946 British Military Administration Proclamations
1946-1959 Colony of Singapore Acts and Ordinances
1959-1963 Colony of the State of Singapore Acts and Ordinances
1963-1965 Federation of Malaysia Acts of Parliament/State of Singapore Acts of the Legislature
1965- Statutes of the Republic of Singapore
History of the Acts
I. Statutes
Version LocationRev. Ed. (1985-)(print)
*K7399 1985(current eds. at Law Library Loans Desk)
Rev. Ed. (1985-)(online)
LawNet:Law students access via Faculty of Law Resources
Consolidated version(online)
Singapore Statutes Online: http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/
Where to find it
II. Subsidiary LegislationVersion Location
Rev. Ed. (1990-)(print)
*K7449 1990(updated set in Singapore-Malaysia Collection)
Rev. Ed. (1990-)(online)
LawNet:Law students access via Faculty of Law Resources
Where to find it
III. Bills (including Explanatory Statements& Table of Derivations)
Version LocationGovernment Gazette. Bills Supplement (1963-)(print)
*K7499 SB
Government Gazette. Bills Supplement (1961-)(online)
• LawNet (1961-):Law students access via Faculty of Law Resources•Parliament of Singapore (1 Apr 2002-):http://www.parliament.gov.sg/publications/Bills-Introduced
Where to find it
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
IV. Parliamentary Debates or Hansard
Version LocationParliamentary Debates: Official Report, incl. Legislative Assembly Debates (1956-)(print)
*J618 SLAD
Singapore Parliament Reports(online)
• LawNet (incl. Legislative Assembly Debates; 1955-):Law students access via Faculty of Law Resources• Parliament of Singapore (2 Nov 2006-): http://www.parliament.gov.sg/publications-singapore-parliament-reports
Where to find it
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
IV. Select Committee ReportsVersion Location
Report of the Select Committee on the … (1950-)(print)
*K7524 …
Select Committee Reports(online)
• LawNet (1955-):Law students access via Faculty of Law Resources• Parliament of Singapore (15 Nov 2006-):http://www.parliament.gov.sg/publications-select-committee-reports
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
Where to find it
http://www.parliament.gov.sg/publications-select-committee-reportsSelect Committee Reports
Both alphabetical and subject indexes are useful in locating statutes.
Print indexes are more useful for researching older statutes.
Online indexes are preferred for searching for current statutes as they are more up-to-date and are often linked to the full texts of statutes.
Singapore
PrintStatutes of the Republic of Singapore•Alphabetical List of Public Acts•Subject Index to ActsRef: K7399 1985 (available at Loans Desk)
Sesquicentennial Chronological Tables of the Written Laws of the Republic of Singapore 1834-1984Ref: K7574 1984
Online LawNet (Rev. Ed. of Acts):
Access: Law Proxy service
Singapore Statutes Online (Consolidated Version):http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/
Major Law reports
The 2 principle sets of law reports in Singapore are: Singapore Law Reports (SLR) Coverage of cases from 1965. Malayan Law Journal (MLJ) Contains both Singapore and Malaysian cases. Coverage of Singapore cases from 1932 to 1991.
Not all cases are reported. A case is only selected for reporting if it raises a point of legal significance. Therefore, only a small proportion of cases are reported, and these are mainly from the Supreme Court (i.e. High Court, Court of Appeal and Constitutional Tribunal)
Major Law reports
Singapore Law Reports Malayan Law Journal
Print: K7599 SLR Print: K7599 MLJ
Online: LawNet (For: NUS Faculty of Law; Other NUS staff & students)
The Academy of Law has re-issued the Singapore Law Reports from 1965 through 2009 with re-written headnotes for the reports from 1965–2002, and re-edited judgment texts that conform to the SAL house-style. This set of reports is called the Singapore Law Reports (Reissue).
Both the original SLR volumes from 1965 to 2002 and the Reissue are equally authoritative as each judgment reported in both remains in substance, though not in form, the same.
Print: K7599 SLROnline: LawNet (For: NUS Faculty of Law; Other NUS staff & students)
Major Law reports
Unreported JudgmentsThese are full text transcripts of written judgments as handed down in the Subordinate Courts, the High Court and Court of Appeal. They are available on LawNet (see page 9).
Earlier judgments are also available in print in the law library:Ref: K7599 CA (Court of Appeal, Civil Appeals) K7599 CRA (Court of Appeal, Criminal Appeals) K7599 DC (District Court) K7599 J (High Court) K7599 MC (Magistrates’ Court)
“Case Law & Decisions” of the Subordinate Courts and Supreme Court are also available for free for the last 3 months in LawNet under its links to Free Resources.
Other current sources of law
Decisions of Boards/TribunalsThe decisions of various tribunals and boards are available in full text in LawNet. Most of these decisions are not available in print elsewhere. They include decisions of the:
• Copyright Tribunal• Income Tax Board of Review• Military Court of Appeal• Strata Titles Boards• Syariah Appeal Board.
LawNet access: NUS Faculty of Law; Other NUS staff & students
Other current sources of law
Case Citations
A case citation is a reference to a case in the law reports.You will need this in order to locate the report of a case.
It generally includes thenames of the parties to the caseyear the decision of the court was delivered or publishedvolume number of the law reportabbreviation of the law report seriesfirst page at which the case is reported.
ExampleAnwar Siraj and Another v Ting Kang Chung John [2010] 1 SLR 1026
Neutral CitationThe neutral citation includes
names of the parties to the caseyear of the decisionjurisdiction/level of courtsequential numberparagraph number(s)
Court designators includeSGCA – Singapore Court of AppealSGHC – Singapore High CourtSGDC – Singapore District CourtSGMC – Singapore Magistrates’ Court
ExamplePublic Prosecutor v Nguyen Tuong Van [2004] SGHC 54, [1]
You may also obtain Singapore cases from full text databases. Databases are particularly useful when you only have partial citations or need to search for cases on a particular topic:
• LawNetThe only database that contains a comprehensive collection of Singapore cases.Access via NUS Faculty of Law Resources
• Lexis SingaporeContains Singapore cases reported in the Malayan Law Journal from 1931 to 1991.Access via NUS Libraries E-Resources
37
Search for cases via LawNet
Search for cases via LawNetSingapore Law Reports and Unreported Judgments are available via LawNet.
Find case: Anwar Siraj and Another v Ting Kang Chung John [2010] 1 SLR 1026
There are several discontinued series of law reports that contain older cases from the courts of Singapore, Malaya and Borneo.
A complete listing of these reports can be found on p.vii-viii of Mallal’s Digest: Consolidated Table of Cases 2009 Reissue under the section entitled “Reports and Publications and Their Abbreviations”. (Print: K7599.3 Md)
Here is a reverse chronological list of a selection of old law reports:
Discontinued series
Singapore
1. Indexes to Law Reports Singapore Law Reports (Reissue): Comparative Table of Citations
& Table of Cases Reported 1965 to 2009Ref: K7599 SLR Singapore Law Reports (Reissue): Subject Index
Ref: K7599 SLR The Malayan Law Journal: Consolidated Tables & Indexes …
Ref: K7599 MLJ
2. Indexes with Abstracts of CasesMallal’s Digest of Malaysian and Singapore case law.Ref: K7599.3 MdThis set is accompanied by: Mallal's Digest: Consolidated Table of Cases 2009 Reissue
Ref: K7599.3 Md Mallal’s Digest: Consolidated Subject Index 1808 to 2009
Ref: K7599.3 Md 2009
For more recent decisions, you may refer to:
Mallal’s Digest [Yearbooks]Search the “Subject Index” within each volume.Ref: K7599.3 MDY
Mallal’s Current LawSearch the “Table of Cases Digested’ and/or “Subject Index” at the back of each issue. Use this for the current or previous year’s cases.Ref: K7599.3 MCL
Singapore
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland consists of 4 countries forming 3 distinct jurisdictions, being England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Since 1999, Scotland and Northern Ireland have had legislative bodies capable of producing primary legislation for those regions. In Wales, the powers of the National Assembly are limited to producing only secondary legislation.
Introduction
The scope of this tutorial will be limited to researching legislation produced by the United Kingdom Parliament for the entire region.
The 2 main sources of UK legislation are:I. Acts of Parliament (primary legislation) a. Public General Acts b. Local and Personal Acts
II. Statutory Instruments (secondary legislation).
Introduction
I. Acts of Parliament
Version Notes LocationPublic General Acts.Queen’s Printer copy
Individual Acts as originally enacted. Incl Explanatory Notes where available. 1988-(selected statutes fr. 1800-1987)
legislation.gov.uk: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/
Public General Acts … Annual bound volumes.• 1952-• 1866-1951
*K2011 PG *K2011 P
The Law Reports. Statutes
Reprint of the Public General Acts.1987-2003
*K2011 PCL Closed Stacks
Where to find it
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
Where to find it
I. Acts of Parliament (contd.)
Version Notes LocationStatutes in Force Official compilation.
1972-1985*K2010 1972CL Closed Stacks
Revised legislation The official revised edition of the primary legislation of the United Kingdom
legislation.gov.uk: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/
Butterworths UK statutes
Amended text of all Acts in force
Lexis Singapore:Access via NUS Libraries Portal
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
Where to find it
I. Acts of Parliament (contd.)
Version Notes LocationCurrent Law Statutes Annotated
Contains annotations.1966/67, 1973, 1979-
*KB3 CLSA
Halsbury’s Statutes of England and Wales (4th ed.)
Revised text of all Acts in force;with annotations
*K2016 Hal
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
II. Early English Statutes
Version Notes LocationStatutes at Large(generic title)
1225-1865.Includes Magna Carta
*K2011 LP
Statutes of the Realm 1235-1713.Includes charters from 1101-1301
*K2016 StaCL Closed StacksOnline via HeinOnline
Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum
1642-1660 *K2015 FirCL Closed Stacks
Where to find it
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
III. Statutory Instruments
Category Notes LocationStatutory Instruments • Print. 1956-2004
• Online. Includes Explanatory Memorandum where available.
• *K2012 SI
• legislation.gov.uk: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/
Statutory Rules & Orders and Statutory Instruments Revised to December 31, 1948
*K2012 1948
Where to find it
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
UK Statutes and Statutory Instruments
Where to find it
IV. Bills (including Explanatory Notes)Version Location
Public Bills(print)
-
Public Bills Before Parliament.2002-(online)
United Kingdom Parliament:http://www.parliament.uk/business/bills-and-legislation/
Where to find it
V. Parliamentary Debates: Official Report or Hansard
Category LocationHouse of Commons• Print: 1909-1984
• Online: 1988-
1803-2004
•*J301 H2CCL Closed Stacks
•United Kingdom Parliament:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/commons/
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons
Where to find it
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
V. Parliamentary Debates: Official Report or Hansard (contd.)Category Location
House of Lords• Print: 1909-1985
• Online: 1995-
1803-2005
•*J301 H2LCL Closed Stacks
•United Kingdom Parliament:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/hansard/lords/
http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/
Where to find it
*Refer to LINC for exact location in library
UK
Halsbury’s Statutes: Consolidated Index … Including Alphabetical and Chronological Lists of Statutes Printed in the Volumes Ref: K2016 Hal
Chronological Table of the Statutes (1235-1975; 1976-2008; 2009) Ref: K2017 Gre
Index to the Statutes (1235-1990) Ref: K2017 Gre
UK
Online Legislation.co.uk - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/
Official website for UK legislation
Modern Law Reports
1. The Law Reports (1865-) The official set of law reports published by the Incorporated
Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales Text of each report is reviewed by judges before publication So, it takes between 10 and 14 months to report cases The only set of reports that has a summary of the
arguments of counsel The High Court and the Court of Appeal require that where a case
has been reported in the Law Reports, it must be cited from that source. Other series may only be used when a case is not reported in the Law Reports. See Practice Direction (Judgments: Form Citation) (Supreme Court) [2001] 1 WLR 194.
1. The Law Reports (1865-) (contd.) The 4 current series of the law reports are:
Title Reports Decisions of PrintAppeal Cases(AC)
House of Lords, Privy Council &Court of Justice of the EuropeanCommunities
K2022 4C
Queen’s Bench(QB)
Queen’s Bench & Court of Appeal & ECJ on appeal from QB
K2022 2E
Family(Fam)
Family Division & Court of Appeal on appeal from Fam D
K2022 1C
Chancery(Ch)
Chancery Division & Court of Appeal on appeal from Ch D
K2022 3B
Online access via ICLR
Modern Law Reports
Modern Law Reports
Case: Rylands v Fletcher (1868) LR 3 HL 330
2. The Weekly Law Reports (WLR) (1953-) Timely, full text reports. Print: K2020 WNR Online access via ICLR
3. All England Law Reports (All ER) (1936-) Timely, full text reports; contains editorial notes. Print: K2020 AELR Online access via Lexis Library
4. Specialist series Contain a selection of cases in a discrete practice area. e.g. Lloyds Law Reports (maritime and commercial law) Print: K2020 LLLR Online access via i-law
Modern Law Reports
Modern Law Reports
5. Newspapers Brief, edited reports. e.g. The Times Law Reports Print: K2020 TR/ K2020 TLR Online access via Lexis Singapore
6. Unreported judgmentsThese are not available in print in the Law Library, but a selection are available online.Online access via Lexis Singapore BAILLI (free access)
The Nominate Reports
The Nominate Reports refer to the various published reports of English cases from the Middle Ages to the 1860s. They are known by the names of the reporters and have been reprinted in:
1.The English Reports (1220-1865)Most comprehensive compilation. 176 volumes of cases & 2 index vols. Print : Call number K2020 EROnline access via HeinOnlineCommonLII (free access)
2.The All England Law Reports Reprint (1558-1935)Criterion for inclusion: present day relevance or value to the legal profession.Ref: K2020 AE/ K2020 AEE (extension volumes)Online access via Lexis Library
The Nominate Reports
The English ReportsRef: K2020 ER
1. Indexes to Law Reports The Law Reports Index (1951- )
Covers cases reported in the Law Reports as well as the Weekly Law Reports, All England Law Reports, Lloyd’s Law Reports and various other law reports.Ref: K2022 I
All England Law Reports: Consolidated Tables and Index (1936-)Ref: K2020 AELR
The English Reports• Index of Cases (Vol. 177 & 178)Alphabetical listing of cases. Use this if you know the name of the case.Ref: K2020 ER
• English Reports Wall ChartUse this when you only have the citation to the case, but not the names of the parties (e.g. I Keb. 434)Location: On wall opposite C J Koh Law Library Information Desk
UK
2. Indexes with Abstracts of Cases The Digest
This series has both a Consolidated Table of Cases and an Index to subjects.Ref: K2028 EED
Current Law Yearbook and Current Law Monthly Digest• Yearbook - Volume 1 for each year contains a “Table of Cases” covering the law from 1 Jan to 31 Dec for that year.Ref: KB3 CLY
• Monthly Digest – the latest issue for the current year contains a “Cumulative Table of Cases” and “Cumulative Index” to subjects for the year up to that month.Ref: KB3 CL
UK
Introduction
Copyright © 2009 Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Australian Government
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation of states. As such, Australian citizens are subject to laws made by both the Commonwealth Parliament and the parliament of the state or territory in which they reside.
Introduction
This scope of this tutorial will be limited to researching Commonwealth legislation only.
The 2 main sources of Australian legislation are:I. Acts of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (primary legislation)
II. Statutory Rules made under the Acts of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (secondary legislation).
I. Acts of the Parliament
Version Notes LocationActs of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia passed during the year ...
•Print. 1901-
•Online.1973-
•*K9002 AA
•ComLaw:http://www.comlaw.gov.au/
Reprinted Acts 1979- *K9002 R
Compilations(Consolidated)
Current/Superseded versions (point-in-time)
ComLaw:http://www.comlaw.gov.au/
*Refer to LINC for exact location
Where to find it
Where to find it
II. Statutory Rules
Version Notes LocationStatutory rules made under … during the year …
•Print. 1959-2004
•Online. 1920-
•*K9003 1956 S
•ComLaw:http://www.comlaw.gov.au/
Reprinted Statutory Rules
1979- *K9003 R
Compilations(Consolidated)
Current/Superseded versions (point-in-time)
ComLaw:http://www.comlaw.gov.au/
Where to find it
*Refer to LINC for exact location
III. Bills (including Explanatory Memoranda)
Version LocationPrint -
Online(1995-)
Parliament of Australia:http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation
Where to find it
IV. Parliamentary Debates or Hansard
Version LocationPrint -
Online(1996-)
Parliament of Australia:http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard
Where to find it
Note: There are two Houses of Parliament. Parliamentary Debates are contained In the Senate Hansard and House of Representatives Hansard.
Australia
PrintFederal Statutes AnnotationsSee “Table of Principal Acts” in Volume 1Ref: K9006.5 Fsa
Online AustLii
Consolidated legislation for Commonwealth, state & territorieshttp://www.austlii.edu.au/
ComLaw“As made” and consolidated Commonwealth legislationhttp://www.comlaw.gov.au/
Law Reports
1. Commonwealth Law Reports (CLR) (1903-) Authorised report Reports decisions of the High Court.
Print: K9011 CLROnline: WestLaw via Law Proxy Service
2. Federal Court Reports (FCR) (1984-) Authorised report Reports decisions of the Federal Court of Australia.
Print: K9011 FCROnline: WestLaw via Law Proxy Service
3. Federal Law Reports (FLR) (1956-) Reports decisions of courts of Federal jurisdiction, except
High Court.Print: K9011 FLROnline: WestLaw via Law Proxy Service
4. Australian Law Journal Reports (ALJR) (1958-) Reports decisions of the High Court Before 1958, these reports were included in the Australian
Law Journal Current issues also incorporated into the Australian Law Journal.
Print: K9011 ALJR
5. Australian Law Reports (ALR) (1973-) Reports decisions of the High Court and other cases
determining Federal law Also contains the Australian Capital Territory Reports (ACTR) and
Northern Territory Reports (NTR) Replaces the Argus Law Reports (ALR)
Print: K9011 ALROnline access via LexisNexis AU
Law Reports
6. Authorised Reports from the States and Territories(a) New South Wales Law Reports (NSWLR) (1971-)
Print: K9051 NSROnline: LexisNexis AU via NUS Libraries Resources
(b) Northern Territory Law Reports (NTLR) (1992-) Authorised report Reports decisions of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
Print: K9011 NTLR (c) Queensland Reports (Qd R) (1958-)
Print: K9091 SQROnline: LexisNexis AU via NUS Libraries Resources
(d) South Australian State Reports (SASR) (1971-)Print: K9111 SRSA Online: WestLaw via Law Proxy Service
Law Reports
Law Reports
6. Authorised Reports from the Various States (contd.)(e) Tasmanian Reports (Tas R) (1981-) Continues Tasmanian State Reports (1897-1980) Print: K9131 TSC
(f) Victorian Reports (VR) (1957-) Continues Victorian Law Reports (1876-1956) Print: K9151 TR Online: LexisNexis AU via NUS Libraries Resources
(g) Western Australian Reports (WAR) (1960-) Continues Western Australian Law Reports (1899-1959) Print: K9171 WAR
7. Unreported JudgmentsThese are usually only available for the superior courts. They are not available in print in the Law Library but are available online.Online: LexisNexis AU via NUS Libraries Resources AustLII at http://www.austlii.edu.au/
Colonial case lawThe Colonial case law project run by Macquarie University Law School makes available decisions of the superior courts of New South Wales and Tasmania from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as unreported appeals from the Australian colonies to the Privy Council before 1850. Entries are based on a mixture of newspaper and manuscript accounts of court records.Online: Colonial Case Law at http://www.law.mq.edu.au/research/colonial_case_law/
Law Reports
Donovan v Donovan [2009] QSC 26
Australian case law accessible via Lexis Singapore, LexisNexis Academic & LexisNexis Australia
Australia
You can search for a case by name using an alphabetical list of cases or by topic using a subject index.
There are 2 main categories of indexes:1. Indexes to Law ReportsThese are indexes published by the individual law report series.
2. Indexes with Abstracts of CasesThe main indexes in this category are the Digests. These contain summaries of cases arranged by subject.
Australia
You can search for a case by name using an alphabetical list of cases or by topic using a subject index.
There are 2 main categories of indexes:1. Indexes to Law ReportsThese are indexes published by the individual law report series.
2. Indexes with Abstracts of CasesThe main indexes in this category are the Digests. These contain summaries of cases arranged by subject.
Australia
Indexes with Abstracts of Cases The Australian Digest
Consult the “Consolidated Index and Tables”.Ref: K9011 AD3
Australian Current Law: ReporterFor previous years, consult the “Cumulative Table of Cases” and/or “Cumulative Index” (of subjects) in the “Consolidated Tables and Indexes” volumes.
For the current year, refer to Volume 1 of the looseleaf index (located at the back of the set).Ref: KB3 ACLR
Secondary sources are publications which refer and relate to thelaw, but are not themselves sources of law. These include:1. Textbooks, casebooks, etc.2. Legal encyclopaedias3. Legal periodicals4. Research literature. E.g. Theses5. Reference works. E.g. Dictionaries, directories,
bibliographies, digests, citators, indexes, etc.
Secondary sources assist in locating relevant primary sources of lawassist in the interpretation of relevant primary sources.
1. Textbooks, Casebooks, etc.(a) Textbooks – provide commentaries and critical evaluation of the law.
E.g. Constitutional Law in Malaysia and Singapore
(b) Casebooks – contain summaries of key judgments on a particular subject, sometimes with editorial commentary.
E.g. Cases and Materials on the Law of Restitution(c) Practice books – primarily for use by legal practitioners. Include guides to practice and procedure in the courts.
E.g. Chitty on Contracts Lewin on Trusts Singapore Court Practice 2014
1. Textbooks, Casebooks, etc. (contd.) (d) Precedent books – specimens of forms and other legal documents with layout and wording accepted as standard
by lawyers. E.g. Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents
(e) Loose-leaf services - books in loose-leaf format which are regularly updated to keep abreast of changes in the law. E.g. Woon’s Corporations Law
2. Legal EncyclopaediasThese provide detailed statements of the law in alphabeticalsubject arrangement. Good starting points for research, and are sometimes preferred to textbooks for an overview of the topic.E.g. Corpus Juris Secundum
Halsbury’s Laws of Singapore
3. Legal PeriodicalsLaw journals and reviews provide information on the latest developments in the law as well as comments and criticismsof the law.E.g. Criminal Law Review
Singapore Journal of Legal Studies
4. Research LiteratureDoctoral, Masters and other theses provide in-depth analysisof specific topics. Theses submitted to the NUS Faculty of Laware shelved in the C J Koh Law Library’s Theses Collection atcall no. KE5009 *[year] [no.]E.g. KE5009 *1981 10
5. Reference Works(a) Legal Dictionaries, Glossaries, Words and Phrases – provide definitions of legal words or phrases.
E.g. Black’s Law Dictionary Parliamentary Glossary: a Guide to Terms Used in
the Singapore Parliament
Words and Phrases Legally Defined
(b) Legal Directories, Law Lists, etc. – listings of and information on lawyers. E.g. The Law Society of Singapore Directory Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
5. Reference Works (contd.)(c) Bibliographies – listings of books that have been published on a subject. E.g. A Bibliographical Survey of Singaporean Legal Materials(d) Digests – contain summaries of cases. E.g. The Digest: Annotated British, Commonwealth and European Cases
Mallal’s Digest of Malaysian and Singapore Case Law(e) Citators● Case citators – list references to where cases were originally reported and to where they were subsequently cited. E.g. Current Law Case Citator
● Legislation citators – list references to cases which cited particular legislation. E.g. Mallal’s Digest: Legislation Citator 1932 to 2014
5. Reference Works (contd.)(f) Indexes - include indexes of: ● legal citations and abbreviations – provide meanings of legal abbreviations. E.g. Index to Legal Citations and Abbreviations (by Donald Raistrick) Singapore Legal Abbreviations● cases – alphabetical or subject listings of cases. E.g. Mallal’s Digest: Consolidated Tables of Cases 2013 Reissue● legislation – alphabetical or subject listings of legislation. E.g. Chronological Table of the Statutes (published by HMSO)● legal periodicals – listings of journal articles by author or subject. E.g. Index to Legal Periodicals and Books
Many secondary sources such as ebooks, ejournals are now available online via the Library portal.For example: Ebook: An introduction to the Model penal code / Markus D. Dubber
Ejournal: Global arbitration review
Index to Journal Articles: Index to foreign legal periodicals LegalTrac
FindMore@NUSL do not retrieve results from Lawnet, LexisNexis or Factiva.
Find more about FindMore@NUSL at Library FAQ http://libfaq.nus.edu.sg/browse.php?tid=16727
FindMore@NUSL is a new search engine that aims to allow discovery of the library’s online and print collections in a single search. This includes print books, print scholarly journals, newspaper articles, e-books, e-journals, theses and dissertations, conference proceedings and more.
Fordham, Margaret, The Role of Contributory Negligence in Claims for Assault and Battery (July 31, 2012). Singapore Journal of Legal Studies, July 2012
Law DatabasesLaw Databases
& More…….
How to find articles on “Rylands v Fletcher”? For e.g. Using LegalTrac (an indexing database)
Enter relevant keywords in the search box and search.
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E.g. Using HeinOnline to find articles on “inchoate title”
Using a Full Text Database
From the NUS Libraries Portal page (http://libportal.nus/edu.sg/)select: Resources > Databases > By Subject > Law > HeinOnline. After logging in with your NUSNET ID and password:
Find journal articles
Search by relevant keywords
The 'Whom's' in Online Dissemination of Copyright Works: To Whom and by Whom is the Communication made?" [2011] Singapore Journal of Legal Studies 373
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Are newspaper articles relevant?Newspaper articles provide valuable sources of information:
the latest legal news commentaries on the law information on current cases, many of which may never be
published in the law reports
PARLIAMENT; Anti-piracy law set to kick in soonStraits Times, 8 Jul 2014
Haze law passed; fines may go up if necessaryStraits Times, 6 Aug 2014
New sentencing guidelines for cigarette smugglersStraits Times, 16 April 2014
Full texts of newspaper articles may be obtained from thefollowing databases:
Access to world leading and business sources including The Straits Times (1 May 1992-), Business Times (1 May 1992-),The Times (UK) (1 Jul 1985-)Access to local, national and international
newspapers and business magazines, including The Straits Times (1 Jul 1989-),Business Times (29 Jan 1984-), The Times (UK) (5 Jan 1981-),The New York Times (1 Jun 1980-)
Access these databases via the NUS Libraries Portal:http://libportal.nus.edu.sg/
or selectDatabases and then click onFactiva
UnderResources, click onE-Newspapersand selectFactiva on thenext screen
There are limited licences for this database. If you encounter anerror message,try again later.
Click onContinue
E.g. Search for Straits Times articles on sentencing in the “Tang Wee Sung kidney transplant” case
Library instructional guides
Index to free internet Law resources
http://libportal.nus.edu.sg/frontend/ms/c-j-koh-law-library/about-c-j-koh-law-library
