OSCOLA: Frequently Referenced Items

Footnote format

Short Title | year | pinpoint if needed. 

Footnote examples

Footnote   

¹ Equality Act 2010.

Footnote when pinpointing a section 

¹ Equality Act 2010, s 7.

Bibliography

Equality Act 2010

Tips

• If you refer to the statute in full in your assignment, do not repeat it in your footnote.
• Do not include the chapter number in your citation.
• For guidance on citing statutory instruments (orders, regulations or rules) see page 26 of the OSCOLA full guide. 
• For guidance on citing Bills see page 25 of the OSCOLA full guide.
• For guidance on pinpointing parts of a statute see page 24 of the OSCOLA full guide.

Footnote format

Author, | Title in italics | (edition, | publisher | year) pinpoint if needed.

Footnote examples

Footnote   

¹ Martin Partingdon, Introduction to the English Legal System (15th edn, OUP 2021).

Footnote when pinpointing a page 

¹ Martin Partingdon, Introduction to the English Legal System (15th edn, OUP 2021) 93.

Bibliography

Partingdon M, Introduction to the English Legal System (15th edn, OUP 2021)

Tips

• When there are between 1-3 authors, give all authors names. When there are more than 3 authors, give the first author’s name followed by the phrase ‘and others’.
• In the footnote, give the author's name exactly as given in the publication.
• In the bibliography:
  • give an individual author’s surname followed by initials (no punctuation).
  • organise references into separate sections for example books, journal articles, conference papers, websites, reports.  Within each section, authors' names should be arranged alphabetically.
• For guidance on pinpointing pages, paragraphs see page 33 of the OSCOLA full guide.

Footnote format

Name of case in italics | neutral citation, | report citation. 

Neutral citation = [year] | abbreviation for court | case number,

Report citation = [(year)]* | volume | abbreviation for law report | first page | pinpoint if needed.

*Copy the style of brackets around the year, either [square] or (round), from the source. 

Footnote examples

 Footnote  

¹ Belhaj v Straw [2017] UKSC 3, [2017] AC 964.

Footnote when pinpointing a page

¹ Belhaj v Straw [2017] UKSC 3, [2017] AC 964, 980.

Footnote if the case name is given in the essay

¹ [2017] UKSC 3, [2017] AC 964.

Bibliography

Belhaj v Straw [2017] UKSC 3, [2017] AC 964

Tips

• If the party names are given in the essay, do not repeat them in the footnote.
• Party names should be in italics in the footnote but they should not be italicised in the bibliography.
• OSCOLA uses as little punctuation as possible.  There should be an unpunctuated italic v to separate the party names.  A comma separates the neutral citation and the law report citation. There are no full stops in the abbreviations: hence ‘UKSC’ rather than ‘U.K.S.C.’ and ‘AC’ rather than ‘A.C.’.
• For guidance on pinpointing of pages, paragraphs and judges, see page 19 of the OSCOLA full guide. 

Footnote format

Name of case in italics | [(year)]* | volume number | abbreviation for law report | first page | (court abbreviated) | pinpoint if needed.

*Copy the style of brackets around the year, either [square] or (round), from the source. 

Footnote examples

Footnote  

¹ Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256 (CA). 

Footnote when pinpointing a page

¹ Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256 (CA) 259. 

Footnote if the case name is given in the essay  

¹ [1893] 1 QB 256 (CA). 

Bibliography

Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co [1893] 1 QB 256 (CA) 

Tips

• If the party names are given in the essay, do not repeat them in the footnote.
• Put the court abbreviation in brackets at the end of the citation.
• Party names should be in italics in the footnote but they should not be italicised in the bibliography.
• OSCOLA uses as little punctuation as possible.  There should be an unpunctuated italic v to separate party names. There are no full stops in the abbreviations: hence ‘UKHL’ rather than ‘U.K.S.C.’ and ‘AC’ rather than ‘A.C.’.
• For guidance on pinpointing of pages, paragraphs and judges, see page 19 of the OSCOLA full guide. 

Footnote format

Hard copy dictionary (or a dictionary found on Westlaw or Lexis+)

'word defined', | Title of dictionary in italics | (edition, | publisher | year).

Footnote example

Footnote (Hard copy dictionary or a dictionary found on Westlaw or Lexis+)

¹ ‘acceptance’, Jowitt’s Dictionary of English Law (6th edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2023).

Bibliography

Jowitt’s Dictionary of English Law (6th edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2023)

Tips 

• For more guidance on referencing online and print dictionaries see OSCOLA FAQs.

The European Convention on Human Rights (footnote and bibliography entry)

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights as amended) (ECHR) art 3.

Tips

• The footnote and bibliography entry for the Convention are the same however, exclude the final full stop in the bibliography.
• For more information on citing international law conventions and treaties, see the full Citing International Law Sources OSCOLA guide.

ECHR cases

Footnote examples

¹ Johnston v Ireland (1986) Series A no 122.

¹ Osman v UK ECHR 1998–VIII 3124.

¹ Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECtHR, 20 July 2004).

¹ Omojudi v UK (2009) 51 EHRR 10.

* Above are examples of different reports taken from the OSCOLA full guide, cite either the official reports ECHR (pre-1996 known as series A) or the EHRR, but be consistent in your practice. 

Tips

• For the bibliography, party names are in normal type (not in italics) and exclude the final full stop.
• For more information on how to cite ECHR cases, see page 31 of the OSCOLA full guide.

Footnote format

Author, | 'Title of article' | [(year)] | volume | journal title | first page of article, pinpoint if needed.

Footnote examples

Footnote   

¹ Steve Foster, 'The formula for justifying dismissal and discipline for diversity-critical speech’ (2024) 29 Coventry Law Journal 31.

Footnote when pinpointing a page 

¹ Steve Foster, 'The formula for justifying dismissal and discipline for diversity-critical speech’ (2024) 29 Coventry Law Journal 31, 37.

Bibliography

Foster S, 'The formula for justifying dismissal and discipline for diversity-critical speech’ (2024) 29 Coventry Law Journal 31

Tips

• In the footnote, give the author’s name exactly as given in the publication.
• When there are between 1-3 authors, give all authors names. When there are more than 3 authors, give the first author’s name followed by the phrase ‘and others’. 
• In the bibliography:
  • give an individual author’s surname followed by initials (no punctuation).
  • organise references into separate sections for example books, journal articles, conference papers, websites, reports.  Within each section, authors' names should be arranged alphabetically.
• For guidance on pinpointing pages, paragraphs see page 33 of the OSCOLA full guide.

Footnote format

A report without an ISBN published online

Author, | ‘Title’ | (additional information, | publisher (if known) | year) pinpointing if needed.

A report with an ISBN published online and/or in print

Author, | Title in italics | (additional information, | publisher (if known) | year) pinpointing if needed

* only give the website address and <date accessed> if particularly helpful to your reader. 

Footnote examples

Example 1 (Command Paper including pinpointing) 

¹ Home Office, Report of the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment (Cmd 8932, 1953) para 53.

Example 2 (Law Commission report including pinpointing) 

¹ Law Commission, Partial Defences to Murder (Law Com No 290, 2004) paras 2.40-2.44.

Example 3 (Law Commission consultation paper) 

¹ Law Commission, Privity of Contract: Contracts for the Benefit of Third Parties (Law Com CP No 121, 1991).

Example 4 (Report without an ISBN available online only) 

¹ Lord Bingham, ‘Keynote Address’ (Liberty conference, London, 6 June 2009) <https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/publications/3-articles-and-speeches/index.shtml> accessed 19 November 2009.

Bibliography

In the bibliography,

• Give an individual author’s surname followed by initials (no punctuation). 
• If the author is an organisation, the author’s name should remain unchanged in the bibliography.
• Remove any pinpointing and the final full stop.

Tips

• Give the website address and date accessed for a report available online only.  However, do not include a pdf link.
• The information included in brackets after the title is intended to help a reader locate the source.  This information could be the document number, a document description, the full date of publication or the publisher if available.
• For more information on citing reports and other secondary sources, see page 39 of of the OSCOLA full guide. 
• For guidance on pinpointing pages, paragraphs see page 33 of the OSCOLA full guide.

For information on citing treaties, see the full Citing International Law Sources OSCOLA guide at pages 25-28.

Footnote format

Blog

Author, 'Title of blog entry' (Blog name, publication date) <website address> accessed date.

Website

Author, 'Title of website' (Website, date updated) <website address> accessed date.

Footnote example: blog

¹ Robyn Grainger, 'Pursuing Professional Development in Justice Digital’ (Justice Digital, 25 July 2024) <https://mojdigital.blog.gov.uk/2024/07/25/pursuing-professional-development-in-justice-digital/> accessed 8 August 2024.

Footnote example: website

¹ Gabriel Tan and Lewis Graham, ‘A Quiet Revolution – Rationality and the Parole Board’ (UK Constitutional Law Association, 11 July 2024) <https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2024/07/11/gabriel-tan-and-lewis-graham-a-quiet-revolution-rationality-and-the-parole-board> accessed 8 August 2024.

Bibliography example: blog

Grainger R, 'Pursuing Professional Development in Justice Digital’ (Justice Digital, 25 July 2024) <https://mojdigital.blog.gov.uk/2024/07/25/pursuing-professional-development-in-justice-digital/> accessed 8 August 2024

Bibliography example: website

Tan G and Graham L, ‘A Quiet Revolution – Rationality and the Parole Board’ (UK Constitutional Law Association, 11 July 2024) <https://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2024/07/11/gabriel-tan-and-lewis-graham-a-quiet-revolution-rationality-and-the-parole-board> accessed 8 August 2024

Tips

• Do not reference online e-books, e-journals, cases and legislation as websites.
• The title of the blog or website should be in italics.
• When there are between 1-3 authors, give all authors names. When there are more than 3 authors, give the first author’s name followed by the phrase ‘and others’.
• In the footnote, give the author's name exactly as given in the publication.
• In the bibliography:
  • give an individual author's surname followed by initials (no punctuation).
  • organise references into separate sections for example books, journal articles, conference papers, websites, reports.  Within each section, authors' names should be arranged alphabetically.