1. If necessary, use the Cardiff Index (link on the left) or Raistrick's Index to legal citations ... (see Citations and Abbreviations page) to find the full name of the court or the law reports series.
Example: [2007] EWHC 3395 (QB); [2009] R.T.R. 1
The Cardiff Index clarifies that this case was heard in the England & Wales High Court, Queen's Bench Division, and both clarify that it was reported in Road traffic reports.
2. Search for the title of the law reports series in the Library catalogue.
Example: Criminal appeal reports
Use a Title or Journal search - we have 1908 onwards in the BJL.
3. For post-2000 cases, if you have only the name of the court, you will need to search on LexisLibrary or Westlaw, unless you also have the names of the parties (in which case, see below).
Search in the indexes/tables of cases in the following printed resources, in order to find out in which reports series the case appears:
1. For details of the case history, cases referring to the case, and cases considered by the case:
2. For details of any journal articles which mention the case:
1. Start with The Digest [shelved on the 2nd floor of the BJL at KB 30 E5]. Look in the “Consolidated table of cases”, to find which volume you need. Then look in the table of cases in the appropriate volume to find the case number. Finally look at the case digest in order to find where the case was reported (this information is given in abbreviated form – you may need to use “Reports included in this work and their abbreviations” in part 1 of the “Cumulative supplement” to find out the meaning).
Example: Warlow v Harrison (an 1859 case referred to in a Court of Appeal hearing in 2000). In The Digest’s “Consolidated table of cases”, you are referred to Vol. 1(4), Agency. The table of cases in this volume shows that it is case 3912. Looking at the summary, you will find references to several law report series, such as the English reports (vol.120, page 925) and the Law journal reports (vol.29, Queen’s Bench page 14).
2. If you don’t find a reference in The Digest you should try one or more of the following:
Example: Moravia v Hunter (1814) This case is not listed in The Digest, so you will need to try another source. Looking in the “Index of cases” for The English reports, you will find the following reference: Moravia v Hunter 2 M & S 444 105 446 The final two numbers will lead you to page 446 in vol.105; alternatively, using the “Chart of reports” you will find that M & S indicates the 6 volumes of reports by Maule & Selwyn (1813-17), which are reprinted in The English reports vol. 105.