Neutral citation law. What is a neutral citation, and how do I cite and reference a case with a neutral citation? 2022-12-30

Neutral citation law Rating: 4,6/10 841 reviews

Neutral citation is a system of legal citation that identifies a legal authority by a standardized legal citation, rather than by the name of the reporter in which the authority was published. The purpose of neutral citation is to provide a consistent and reliable way to locate legal authorities, regardless of the source in which they were published.

The use of neutral citation has become increasingly widespread in common law jurisdictions, particularly in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In these jurisdictions, neutral citation is often used in conjunction with traditional legal citation, which identifies legal authorities by the name of the reporter in which they were published, as well as the volume and page number.

One of the main advantages of neutral citation is that it allows legal authorities to be located more easily and efficiently. Because the neutral citation does not change, regardless of the source in which the authority is published, it is much easier for lawyers and legal researchers to find and cite legal authorities. This can save time and resources, and make it easier for lawyers to stay up-to-date on the latest legal developments.

Another advantage of neutral citation is that it promotes the use of electronic legal resources. With traditional legal citation, it can be difficult to locate legal authorities in electronic databases, because the citations are not standardized. With neutral citation, it is much easier to search for legal authorities using electronic legal resources, because the citations are consistent and standardized.

Despite the benefits of neutral citation, there are some criticisms of the system. Some argue that it is too rigid and inflexible, and that it does not adequately account for the different ways in which legal authorities are cited in different jurisdictions. Others argue that it is too costly and time-consuming to implement, and that it is not worth the effort given the benefits it provides.

Overall, neutral citation is a valuable tool for legal citation that has become increasingly popular in common law jurisdictions. It provides a consistent and reliable way to locate legal authorities, and promotes the use of electronic legal resources. While there are criticisms of the system, it is generally seen as a useful tool that can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of legal research and citation.

LawBeat

neutral citation law

Unlike the majority of citations, neutral citations do not refer to a specific report of a case, but to the judgment itself. Examples of neutral citations follow. This citation is based on the second edition of the American Association of Law Libraries Note: this media-neutral citation is not necessarily the official citation, the latter which should be used when citing to primary and secondary legal materials in court filings, scholarly publications, etc. Because they have not been published in a law report series, these judgements are referred to as "unreported judgments. Auzano Asset Management Inc. Examples: Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C - 46. Instead, the abbreviation indicates the court in which the case was heard and the number indicates the case number.


Next

Neutral Citation

neutral citation law

A: It's the "media-neutral" or "vendor-neutral" citation to the particular section of the state code you are looking at. The following list, compiled for reference by ICLR law reporters, is not intended to be comprehensive, but deals with the main jurisdictions that tend to be cited in our law reports. The APA Manual suggests adding URLs where it will aid retrieval. R v Latimer is the case name, 1995 is the year of decision, volume 126 clearly identifies the exact volume so the year does not need to be in square brackets, DLR for Dominion Law Reports, 4th series, case beginning on page 203, as heard by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal which is abbreviated Sask CA. To cite a court case or decision, list the name of the case, the volume and abbreviated name of the reporter, the page number, the name of the court, the year, and optionally the URL.

Next

Guide to Neutral Citations

neutral citation law

This is not strictly required for legal citations but may aid readers in retrieval. In January 1999, the Court of Appeal was the first court in BC to implement the neutral citation standard for judgments in electronic form. The court has the power to decide such matters as arise between students at a public school. Round brackets are used when the year is not necessary to identify the law report volume for example if there was only one volume published per year. . If one of these requirements is not met, then the court cannot proceed with the case and it will be dismissed. Federal statutes passed after 1985 are cited as SC for the Statutes of Canada.

Next

Media

neutral citation law

Example: Bill 16, Police Amendment Act, 1997, 2nd Session, 36th Parliament, British Columbia, 1997. . Do not put the SCC court abbreviation at the end of the citation, as the name of the court has been included in the reporter name. See also How do I create a email template link? Statutes in effect at that time are cited as RSBC 1996, for the Revised Statutes of British Columbia, 1996. This can happen if there is a technical problem with the court's website or if the judge has directed that the judgement be kept confidential.

Next

What is a neutral citation, and how do I cite and reference a case with a neutral citation?

neutral citation law

This is to explain the parties involved. If only the neutral citation is available, it may be used alone: Example of Neutral Citation only Rutledge v Jimmie, 2014 BCSC 41. APA suggests following The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation 2015. Cases are designated by the name of the court and the case number rather than the reporter, volume, and page number. This latest appeal of the Latimer case has a parallel neutral citation. In the following example, 74 is the year and 181 is the number of the regulation.

Next

What Does a Neutral Citation Look Like?

neutral citation law

A case may only have an internet citation. This is not strictly required for legal citations but may aid readers in retrieval. Some lower courts and tribunals have since adopted a neutral citation system. Example: Parental Responsibility Act, SBC 2001, c 45. The courts now take charge of their own decisions.

Next

Neutral Citations

neutral citation law

This Practice Direction extended the practice of neutral citation to all judgments given by the High Court in London. We suggest you check with your instructor first. Neutral citations are used when there is no applicable court ruling or legislation that provides for a default judgment. As the weight of electronic media continues to grow, it is important, and in the best interests of the Indian legal community and the general public, to have a citation method that will reflect this development. Nunavut Act, SC 1993, c 28. See Appendix E in the McGill Guide for a list of electronic database abbreviations.


Next

Law Report Citations

neutral citation law

Courts assign the neutral citation when they render a decision. The traditional citation method for case law derives from the use of various printed collections. What is a neutral citation number? Neutral citations from the High Court include the division in brackets after the judgment number. However, the recent appearance of digital media has revealed the limitations of the traditional approach as it creates new needs. For example, if there is no plaintiff who has been injured in a car accident with a defendant, then the court cannot exercise jurisdiction over the case because there is nothing for it to decide.


Next

What is neutral citation?

neutral citation law

The Statutes of Canada were last revised in 1985. If you are submitting work to Newcastle Law School for marking then you should not cite WLUK. BC provincial statutes passed after 1996 are cited as SBC for the Statutes of British Columbia. This is to explain the parties involved. Neutral Citations In 1999, Canadian courts began assigning neutral citations to their judgments the start date varies depending on the court. Information about legal citations from ICLR, including a section on neutral citations. The case name is italicized in the in-text citation, but not in the reference list.

Next