“Referencing is the process of acknowledging other people’s work when you have used it in your assignment or research…It provides the link between what you write and the evidence on which it is based. “(Pearse and Shield, 2016, p.1)
You need to reference in order to give credit to the sources you are using thus avoid plagiarism which is considered a serious academic offence. It allows your audience/readers to find the source of your research and it shows your ideas are based on credible research and analysis.
For everything you need to know about referencing, check our our Referencing Guide.
There are a number of different referencing styles. As students of Law and Legal Studies, you are required to reference in either the Harvard referencing style or the OSCOLA referencing style. Check with your lecturer to see which style of referencing they require.
Here are some examples of how to cite and reference legal materials in the Harvard referencing style:
Law Report (case) example
In-text citation
The earlier case (‘R v. Edward (John)’, 1991) ...
References
‘R v. Edward (John)’ (1991) Weekly Law Reports, 1, pp. 207–208.
Law Commission Reports and consultation papers example
In-text citation
The report (Law Commission, 2001) recommended that retrial after acquittal should be permitted in cases of murder, if new evidence became available.
Reference list
Law Commission (2001) Double Jeopardy and Prosecution Appeals (Law Com No 267, Cm 5048). London: The Stationery Office.
If accessed online include the DOI or URL (Accessed: date). This rule applies for EVERY ONLINE RESOURCE you reference in the Harvard style. If you accessed your material online, you must include the DOI or URL (Accessed: date).
Law Commission (2001) Double Jeopardy and Prosecution Appeals (Law Com No 267, Cm 5048). Available at: http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/areas/doublejeopardy.htm (Accessed: 17 May 2021).
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For more information on Harvard referencing as well as examples that you can follow, check out our Cite them Right online referencing resource. You will be required to log in with you student e-mail and password.
The OSCOLA referencing style stands for Oxford University Standard for Citation Of Legal Authorities. OSCOLA Ireland is an adapted version of this system, and has been developed by four academics at the University of Limerick, Dublin Institute of Technology and the National University of Ireland Galway. (Source: OSCOLA Ireland)
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Here are some examples of how to cite legal materials using the OSCOLA referencing style:
Book example:
James Casey, Constitutional Law in Ireland (3rd edn, Round Hall Sweet and Maxwell 2000) 126.
Case example:
Doran v Delaney [1998] 2 IR 61 (SC).
Journal article example:
Siobhán Mullally, ‘Searching for Foundations for Irish Constitutional Law’ (1998) 33 IJ (ns) 333.
Law report example:
Mahon Tribunal v Keena [2009] IESC 64, 2 ILRM 373.
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Here are some useful OSCOLA Ireland links to help you with your referencing:
OSCOLA Ireland Style Guide - Second Edition 2016
OSCOLA Ireland Quick Reference Guide