National Law University, Odisha

Course: Legal Method

Citation Formats
Abhik Majumdar

Footnoting Styles

Blue Book (Harvard University)

Red Book (Mcill University! "anada)

Maroon Book (University o# "hicago)

$S"$%A ($&#ord University)

Harvard Blue Book

Most 'idely used

"riticised #or being com(licated

)*co(y not available

+hotoco(ies o# older editions available in the

library

Some cheatsheets available

"itations

"itations can be either general or (in(oint

eneral "itation , re#erence to a (articular

'ork (case! article! book etc-)

+in(oint "itation , re#erence to a s(eci#ic

location ((age! (ara etc-) 'ithin a (articular
'ork-

"iting "ases

eneral rule , .ame o# case! #ollo'ed by comma! then

the citation-

"ase names in the main body need to be italicised

/n #ootnotes! case names should not be italicised

)&ce(tions0

1hen used in te&tual sentences in #ootnote

1hen short #orm o# case name is used

Short #orm can be used 'hen #ull citation o# case has

been stated 'ithin #ive (receding #ootnotes

"omma a#ter italicised case name should not be

italicised


+in(oint cite

1hen case is re#erred to #or the #irst time! then name

o# case! com(lete citation including starting (age
number! #ollo'ed by 2at3! then (in(oint in#ormation

4onoghue v- Stevenson! 5678 All )-R- Re(- 5

at 9-

1hen the case has been re#erred to earlier! then

starting (age number can be omitted0

See Donoghue! 5678 All )-R- Re(- at 9-

+rescribed Formats #or "ase Re(orts
1hen citing cases! (lease adhere to the
#ormats given in the #ollo'ing e&am(les0

A-/-R- 56:7 S-"- 85;

56<8 (7) S-"-R- =;

(5669) = S-"-"- >;

(56>;) 7 All )-R- 986

5678 All )-R- Re(- 5

568= All )-R- Re(- )&t- >6

?ournal and other Articles

.ame o# author(s)! Title of the article (in

italics)! vol- no-! .AM) $F ?$UR.A% (/. SMA%%
"A+S)! starting (age! (year o# (ublication) -

H-%-A- Hart and %-%- Fuller! Positivism and the

Separation of Law and Morals! >5 HAR@- %-
R)@- 967 (569<) at :;5-
(.B0 the above citation is only #or illustrative
(ur(oses! and is not com(letely accurate)

Books

AUAH$R .AM)! A/A%) Bno commaC (age

number (year)

H-%-A- HARA! AH) "$.")+A $F %A1 78 (56:5)-

H-%-A- HARA! AH) "$.")+A $F %A1 78 (8

nd
ed-
566=)-

H-%-A- HARA D %-%- FU%%)R! AH) "$.")+A $F

%A1 78 (8
nd
ed- 566=)-

/nternet Sources

A%1AES (recede UR% 'ith some source

in#ormation-

Source in#ormation should be cited in a similar

manner to articles0

e-g- .ame o# Author! Name of Article! .AM) $F

1)BS/A) (year o# (ublication)! UR%-

%eslie reen! Legal Positivism! SAA.F$R4

)."E"%$+)4/A $F +H/%$S$+HE (8;;7)!
htt(0FF(lato-stan#ord-eduFentriesFlegal*(ositivismF

Al'ays remove underlining #rom UR%

For material that is also available in (rint! add url 'ith

Gavailable atH

?- @enkatesan! Salwa udum Doesn!t "#ist$

%hhattisgarh &ovt'! AH) H/.4U! $ct- 86! 8;5;!
available at htt(0FF'''-hindu-comF8;5;F8;-htm-

For material that doesnHt have a date! mention in

brackets the date on 'hich the (age 'as last visited0

?- @enkatesan! Salwa udum Doesn!t "#ist$

%hhattisgarh &ovt'! AH) H/.4U!
htt(0FF'''-hindu-comF8;5;F8;-htm (last visited (ct'
)*+ ),-,)-

(.B , American style o# date , #irst month! then date)

adgets
I.d'J

Used to re#er to immediately (receding citation

Use only 'hen (receding citation has only one re#erence

/# (revious cite contains more than one re#erence! do not use .d'
/nstead! use abbreviated #orm o# 'ork you intend to re#er to-
ISupraJ

Used to re#er to citation not immediately (receding

I.nfraJ

Re#ers to subseKuent citation

Ao be used very! very rarely

ILoc' cit'J

Used to indicate a location in a 'ork cited earlier but not

immediately earlier (i-e- (articular location in a 'ork)
I(p' cit'J

Used to indicate a 'ork cited earlier but not immediately earlier! or a

di##erent location in such a 'ork

Aheir use is discouraged these days

1. H.L.A. Hart, The Concept of Law 32 (2
nd
ed. 1994).
2. Id.
3. Sayeda Khatoon v. M. Obadiah, (1944-45) 49 C.W.N. 745.
4. Id. at 746.
5. Supra note 1, at 128.

Signals * +ositive
I.o signalJ

/ndicates the re#erence clearly su(orts your (ro(osition

)&clusive in character , suggests other re#erences either non*

e&istent or o# negligible value
ISeeJ

/talics! #irst letter ca(italised! only i# at the beginning o# a sentence

Used #or re#erence su((orting your (ro(osition! almost as good as

no signal

/nclusive in character , admits e&istence o# other re#erences! but

suggests others may not be adeKuate in themselves the 'ay the
(rovided re#erence is

1. See H.L.A. Hart, The Concept of Law 32 (2
nd
ed.
1994).
2. Hart s concept of command differs from Austin s. See
H.L.A. Hart, The Concept of Law 32 (2
nd
ed.
1994).
3. For a clearer exposition of the concept, see H.L.A. Hart,
The Concept of Law 32 (2
nd
ed. 1994).

ISee alsoJ

/talics! #irst letter o# #irst 'ord ca(italised! only i# at the beginning o#

a sentence

Suggests additional re#erence su((orting your (ro(osition

ood idea to e&(lain in (arentheses 'hy you re#er to it

1. See Sayeda Khatoon v. Obadiah, (1944-45) 49 C.W.N. 745.
See also H.L.A. Hart, The Concept of Law 32 (2
nd
ed.
1994) (implications of Sayeda correlated with English
developments)
2. For a clearer exposition of the concept, see also H.L.A. Hart,
The Concept of Law 32 (2
nd
ed. 1994).

I%f'J

Short #or Gcon#erH! %atin #or Gcom(areH

Used to re#er to authority that does not (recisely relate to your

(ro(osition! but some'hat su((orts it e&ternally

For e&am(le! i# you make a (oint regarding )nglish la' and 'ant to
re#er to similar develo(ments in /ndia

Al'ays a good idea to e&(lain in (arentheses 'hy you re#er to it

1. See Hyde v. Hyde, (1866) L.R. 1 P&D 130. Cf. Sayeda
Khatoon v. Obadiah, (1944-45) 49 C.W.N. 745 (use of
similar concept in in Indian law)

I"'g'J

Used 'hen re#erence cited is one among many suitable

re#erences

"an be used 'ith other signals also0 ISee+ e'g'+J ISee also+
e'g'J

Al'ays italicised! 'ith #ull*sto(s-

1. E.g. Hyde v. Hyde, (1866) L.R. 1 P&D 130.
2. Cf. Sayeda Khatoon v. Obadiah, (1944-45) 49 C.W.N. 745.
See also, e.g. Hyde v. Hyde, (1866) L.R. 1 P&D 130.

Signals * .egative

Used to indicate re#erence that do not agree 'ith authorHs

(oint o# vie'! or 'ith re#erence cited by author in su((ort o#
her (oint o# vie'-

+o(ular e&am(les0

I%ontraJ , directly contrary re#erence

I/ut seeJ , re#erence! one among several! inconsistent

'ith authorHs vie' or re#erence cited by author in
su((ort o# her vie'

I/ut cf'J * re#erence! one among several! indirectly

inconsistent 'ith authorHs vie' or re#erence cited by
author in su((ort o# her vie'

1. Contra H.L.A. Hart, The Concept of Law 32 (2
nd
ed.
1994)
2. See Sayeda Khatoon v. Obadiah, (1944-45) 49 C.W.N. 745.
But see also Hyde v. Hyde, (1866) L.R. 1 P&D 130.

Luotations

Luotes o# 9; 'ords or more0 indent on le#t and right

Luotes o# less than 9; 'ords0 enclosed 'ithin te&t in single Kuotes

1hen Kuote starts #rom the middle o# a sentence! ca(italise the #irst
letter and enclose it in sKuare brackets

1hen Kuote ends in the middle o# a sentence! add ellli(sis at the

end

)lli(sis M B - - --C
M Bs(aceCBdotCBs(aceCBdotCBs(aceCBdotCBdotC

As has been pointed out in Rylands:
5
The owner of cattle must keep them in at his peril or he will be
answerable for the natural consequences of their escape, ie,
with regard to tame beasts, for the grass they eat and trample
on, although not for any injury to the person of others, for it is
not the general nature of horses to kick or bulls to gore, but if
the owner knows that the beast has a vicious propensity to
attack man he will be answerable for that too.
!
As has been pointed out in Rylands, "#$%t is not the general nature of horses to
kick or bulls to gore . . ..&
5
!
As has been pointed out in Rylands, "#$%t is not the general nature of . . . bulls
to gore . . ..&
5

$S"$%A

$&#ord Standard #or "itation o# %egal

Authorities

/ncreasing in (o(ularity

Sim(le to use

.o small ca(s

)*co(y #reely available

Some cheatsheets also available

Basic Rules
)nd #ootnotes 'ith #ull sto(
"ases cited 'ithout #ull sto(s in cause titles or re(ort names
.eutral citation! i# available! to be given be#ore s(eci#ic la' re(ort
citation

/arcla0 v' /ritish Airwa0s I8;;6J UNH% =;! I8;;6J 5 All )R

<>5-
/ndicate the court in brackets a#ter the #irst (age o# the re(ort
(and be#ore the (in(oint i# there is one)

/arcla0 v' /ritish Airwa0s I8;;6J UNH% =;! I8;;6J 5 All )R

<>5 (H%)! <<;-

+in(oint citations , either (aras or (ages-
/# (aras! then enclose in sKuare brackets

M% Mehta v' 1nion of .ndia A/R 56<> S" 5;<: I58J-

/# more than one (ara! se(arate 'ith comma

M% Mehta v' 1nion of .ndia A/R 56<> S" 5;<: I58J! I5:J-
/# range o# (aras! se(arate 'ith hy(hen

M% Mehta v' 1nion of .ndia A/R 56<> S" 5;<: I58J , I5:J-
/# (ages! then se(arate (age #rom #irst (age 'ith comma (but i# court
name is given in brackets! then no comma necessary

M% Mehta v' 1nion of .ndia A/R 56<> S" 5;<:! 5;<<! 5;6;-

M% Mehta v' 1nion of .ndia A/R 56<> S" 5;<: (S") 5;<< * 6;-

Statutes
"ite an Act by its short title and year! using ca(itals #or the major
'ords! and 'ithout a comma be#ore the year-

Hindu Marriage Act 5699

"ode o# "ivil +rocedure 56;<

Eou can abbreviate the name using the initials a#ter #irst
mentioning the abbreviation- Al'ays add year to abbreviation-
'. (indu )arriage Act '*55 +()A '*55, s 5+',+a,.
-. ...
.. ()A '*55, s '/.

Sub*(arts o# section should not be abbreviated
Hindu Marriage Act 5699! s 9(5)(a)-
.$A
Hindu Marriage Act 5699! s 9 sub*section (5) (ara (a)-
Multi(le sections * ss
Hindu Marriage Act 5699! ss 9*>! 5;-

Books
eneral +rinci(le0 author! title! vol (additional in#ormation! edition!
(ublisher year)
0areth 1ones, Goff and Jones: The Law of Restitution +'st supp, /th
edn, 2weet 3 )a4well -55*,.
6hristian von 7ar, The Common European Law of Torts, vol - +6(
7eck -555,.

)dited volumes0 author! GtitleH in editor (ed)! boo2 title (additional
in#ormation! (ublisher! year)
1ustine 8ila, "The 9alue of Authorship in the :igital ;nvironment& in
<illiam ( :utton and 8aul < 1effreys +eds,, World Wide Research:
Reshaping the Sciences and Humanities in the Century of nformation
+)$T 8ress -5'5,.
+in(oints0 a#ter bracket
0areth 1ones, Goff and Jones: The Law of Restitution +'st supp, /th
edn, 2weet 3 )a4well -55*, -=5.


Articles
eneral Rules0
/# volume number not se(arately given! then year in sKuare brackets
author! GtitleH IyearJ journal nameFabbv O #irst (age
8aul 6raig, "Theory, >8ure Theory? in 8ublic @aw& #-555% 8@ AA5.
/# volume number se(arately given! then year in round brackets
author! GtitleH (year) vol no O journal nameFabbv O #irst (age
Alison @ Boung, "$n :efence of :ue :eference& +-55*, /- )@! 55A.

+in(oint0 Add comma a#ter #irst (age
1eremy <aldron, "The 6ore of the 6ase against 1udicial !eview&
+-55C, ''5 Bale @1 '.AC, './-.


adgets

Use o# supra discouraged

Ao re#er to (revious note! use (artial or abbreviated version o# case

name (or surname o# author)! #ollo'ed by o(en bracket! GnH! #ootnote
number! close bracket then! i# necessary! (age or (ara number #or
(in(oint citation

/bid (and see! see also! c#) can be used! but should not be
ca(italised or italicised

)ven 'hen re#erring to the immediately (receding citation! you need

not use ibidP instead! you can re#er to it using the caseFauthor name
and #ootnote number