LibGuides: Law: Cases

Finding Australian Cases

Case citators are important research tools. They not only provide references to where the text of a judgment is reported, but also indicate relationships between cases, helping determine their precedent value.

You can find a case by name or by topic using a case citator.

Case citators provide the following information:

a citation for a case (and alternative citations if it has been reported in more than one place)
a link to the case if available
details of any subsequent cases that have considered the case
earlier cases considered by the case
journal articles about this case
if the case has considered any legislation.

Is your case reported?
Cases may be reported in a number of ways, including remaining unreported. This visual guide aims to help you establish if a case is reported, authorised or unreported.

Westlaw AU Cases
The Westlaw AU platform provides access to cases, as well as legislation and secondary sources.

Westlaw AU Cases Advanced Search This link opens in a new window
Westlaw AU Cases Advanced Search provides access to case references, citations, litigation history, and digest information for Australian cases from 1825.
CaseBase This link opens in a new window
CaseBase on Lexis Advance provides access to case annotations. The database contains mainly Australian cases but some UK and NZ cases are included.
vLexJustis This link opens in a new window
Formerly known as JustisOne. A case citator and full -text database of cases and legislation from the UK. As well as providing unreported versions of cases the database links to the full text of cases in selected databases.

Open Access Case Sources

JADE (Judgments and Decisions Enhanced)
Decisions of Australian courts and tribunals and legislation from Australian States and Territories. The platform also has a current awareness service.
To use the extra features of JADE (such as case annotations, and analysis and visualisation tools) students can request a Professional account free of charge. Email: editors@jade.io.
AustLII (Australasian Legal Information Institute)
A free database of Australasian primary legal materials (legislation, treaties and decisions of courts and tribunals) and secondary legal materials such as law reform reports and law journals.