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Legal citations are a fundamental aspect of legal research and writing courses, as well as your daily encounters with Canadian case law. In Canada, the “Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation” (often referred to as the “McGill Guide”) is the standard reference for legal citation. Styles can vary a bit by prof or firm, so check in before finalizing your work.
The McGill Guide is divided into two main sections: one for practitioners and another for academic publications. Make sure to consult your professor about which section to use for your Legal Research and Writing assignments.
The first time you cite a source, use the full citation. For subsequent citations of the same source, you can use a short form. This not only saves space but also improves the flow of your document.
| Component | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case name (italicized) | R v Smith | Italicize the case name |
| Year of decision | 2001 | Year the decision was made |
| Court and jurisdiction | SCC 2 | Supreme Court of Canada, decision 2 of the year |
| Reporter volume | [2001] | Volume of the reporter |
| Reporter abbreviation | 1 SCR | Supreme Court Reports |
| Page number | 2 | Page where the case starts |
| Pinpoint citation | at para 4 | Specific paragraph cited |
Case citation analyzed.
| Component | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the Act | Criminal Code | Italicize the name of the Act |
| Year of the Act | RSC 1985 | Year the Act was codified |
| Chapter number | c C-46 | Chapter number in the statute book |
| Section and subsection | s 265(1) | Section and subsection cited |
Statute citation analyzed.
www.definitelynotfakelawjournal.ca/fakearticle
| Component | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Author (if available) | John Doe | Author of the online source |
| Title (italicized) | Article Name | Italicize the title of the source |
| Source or Website | Website.com | Website where the source is published |
| Date of publication | 2021-01-01 | Date when the source was published or updated |
| URL | http://www.definitelynotfakelawjournal.ca/fakearticle | URL of the source |
Definitely not fake website citation.
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