Valid Case Report Reference Formats – Neutral Citations
Neutral citations are unique references to judgments that are independent of any printed case report series, and can also be used to locate transcripts in JustCite. For example:
[2002] EWHC 317 (Fam)
JustCite can recognise neutral citations in the standard formats, and also in variants with and without brackets, parentheses and full stops, for example:
Neutral citations were introduced in the U.K. by Practice Direction (Judgments: Form and Citation), [2001] 1 WLR 194 and came into effect on 11th January 2001.
With effect from 14th January 2002, neutral citations were extended to all judgments given by judges in the High Court in London, using a number provided from a register kept at the High Court, as set out in Practice Direction (Judgments: Neutral Citations), [2002] 1 WLR 346. The formats are:
Court
Citation format
Court of Appeal (Civil Division)
[2001] EWCA Civ 989
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
[2001] EWCA Crim 168
High Court (Administrative Court)
Before 14th January 2002:
[2001] EWHC Admin 294
From 14th January 2002:
[2002] EWHC 396 (Admin)
High Court (Admiralty Court)
[2002] EWHC 370 (Admlty)
High Court (Chancery Division)
[2002] EWHC 367 (Ch)
High Court (Commercial Court)
[2003] EWHC 687 (Comm)
High Court (Family Division)
[2002] EWHC 2734 (Fam)
High Court (Patents Court)
[2004] EWHC 482 (Pat)
[2004] EWHC 482 (Patent)
High Court (Queen’s Bench Division)
[2003] EWHC 1830 (QB)
[2003] EWHC 1830 (Q.B.)
High Court (Technology and Construction Court)
[2003] EWHC 2114 (TCC)
[2003] EWHC 2114 (T.C.C.)
House of Lords
[2001] UKHL 37
Privy Council
[2001] UKPC 30
Privy Council (devolution in Scotland)
[2001] UKPC D2
High Court of Justice Northern Ireland: Queen’s Bench Division
[2006] NIQB 48 [2006] N.I.Q.B. 48
United Kingdom Employment Appeals Tribunal
[2005] UKEAT 0046
United Kingdom Immigration Appeals Tribunal
[2005] UKIAT 00012
JustCite can recognize some variations of court names, such as “Patent” instead of “Pat”.
This ability to recognise variations of court names also allows JustCite to recognise neutral citations where more than one court is represented in the citation, for example:
[2002] EWHC 18 (Fam/Admin)
Australia
JustCite can recognise neutral citations of cases from the following Australian courts:
Court
Citation format
Australian Patents Office
[2005] APO 24 [2005] A.P.O. 24
Family Court
(1998) FamCA 1551
Federal Court
[2005] FCA 1242
Federal Court: Full Court
[2005] FCAFC 162
Federal Magistrates Court
[2006] FMCA 1767
High Court
[2006] HCA 3
Industrial Relations Court
[1995] IRCA 222 [1995] I R C A 222 [1995] I.R.C.A. 222
New South Wales Administrative Decisions Tribunal Appeal Panel
[2007] NSWADTAP 17 [2007] N.S.W.A.D.T.A.P. 17
Northern Territory Supreme Court
[1999] NTSC 143 [1999] N.T.S.C. 143
Queensland District Court
[2003] QDC 4
Queensland Supreme Court: Court of Appeal
[2001] QCA 246
South Australia Supreme Court
[2005] SASC 122
Victoria Civil and Administrative Tribunal
[2004] VCAT 2510
Victoria Court of Appeal
[2005] VSCA 139
Victoria Supreme Court
[1999] VSC 170
Western Australia Supreme Court
[1999] WASC 1050
Canada
JustCite can recognise neutral citations of cases from the following Canadian courts:
Court
Citation format
British Columbia Court of Appeal
[2004] BCCA 484
Fiji
JustCite can recognise neutral citations of cases from the following Fijian courts:
Court
Citation format
Fiji Supreme Court
[2005] FJSC 1
Hong Kong
JustCite can recognise neutral citations of cases from the following Hong Kong courts:
Court
Citation format
Hong Kong Court of Appeal
[1998] HKCA 107
Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal
[2003] HKCFA 46
Hong Kong Court of First Instance
[2006] HKCFI 465
Ireland
JustCite can recognise neutral citations of cases from the following Irish courts:
Court
Citation format
Irish Court of Criminal Appeal
[2008] IECCA 21 [2008] I E C C A 21 [2008] I.E.C.C.A. 21 [2008] I. E. C. C. A. 21
Irish High Court
[2007] IEHC 11 [2007] I E H C 11 [2007] I.E.H.C. 11 [2007] I. E. H. C. 11
Irish Supreme Court
[2006] IESC 33 [2006] I E S C 33 [2006] I.E.S.C. 33 [2006] I. E. S. C. 33
New Zealand
JustCite can recognise neutral citations of cases from the following New Zealand courts:
Court
Citation format
New Zealand Court of Appeal
[2004] NZCA 34
Papua New Guinea
JustCite can recognise neutral citations of cases from the following Papua New Guinea courts:
Court
Citation format
Papua New Guinea Supreme Court
[1980] PGSC 4
Singapore
JustCite can recognise neutral citations of cases from the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Federal Court of Singapore.
