Case citations

hanadeka2002

Hey.

I was hoping someone here could help me(I'm a poor innocent first year so be nice...)

If I were to look up a citation of a case(for example if I wanted to find the citation for Wilkinson v Downton) how would I go about finding out which is the correct case citation book to look at?

Reply 1

viviki

I never bother I just use trusty westlaw or lexis.

Reply 2

hanadeka2002

Yes but it's for a library exercise...we have to find the citations using the books....grrrr!Damn my uni making things difficult.

Reply 3

viviki

well thats just a load of crap I hate library exercises. you can use You can use the current law cases citators if you have a vague idea of the age of the case.

Reply 4

viviki

ooh or you can use the digest if your uni takes it.

Reply 5

hanadeka2002

What is the digest?I don't think that has been mentioned....

Reply 6

viviki

its like a directory volume thingy. Its got loads and loads of volumes. In the volumes are a consolidated table of cases which is an alphabetical list of cases, You find the name of it in the table of cases and it directs you to the volume in the digest where it is and it tells you about the case and stuff.

Reply 7

hanadeka2002

I see.

I'll have a look into that then.Thank you!

Reply 8

viviki

Also you could do with reading a copy of Dane & Thomas How to use a law library. I wouldn't buy it but its useful to have a quick flick through.

Reply 9

octanethriller

Its quite simple really.

Take for instance the citation for Wilkinson v. Downton:

[1897] 2 QB 57

1897 refers to the year in which the case was reported
2 refers to the volume number for that particular year. sometimes there may not be a number there in which case it usually indicates that there is only one volume for that particular year.
QB refers to the title of the relevant reports. In this case QB means Queen's Bench Reports. Most law libraries will have a sheet or list containing the title of each report with the relevant letters.
57 - the final number - refers to the page in the particular volume at which the reported case begins.

Reply 10

viviki

There are also big lists in your library that tell you what abbreviations refer to what.

But if you don't have the citation or your library don't carry the series thats when you can use the current law reports and the digest.