LAW Foreign Cases and Decisions

Foreign law is the domestic, national or internal law of a country or jurisdiction. A case is a decision made by a court or board or tribunal.

This guide is intended to help researchers locate the cases and decisions of foreign jurisdictions. The tabs found above will open pages that have links to some relevant key sources. Legal databases may be restricted to University of Calgary users or to Faculty of Law users. It does not include international law. If that is your topic, there is an International Law guide you may wish to use in your research. 

Countries are considered either common law or civil law jurisdictions. Common law countries are largely part of the Commonwealth or formerly part of the British Empire. In civil law countries, released cases are made available by courts, boards, and tribunals.

All countries release cases that are often published in case reports or reporters and may be available in print or electronically. Reporters fit into three categories: official, unofficial general or unofficial topical. Judgements are published directly by the court or tribunal from where the decision was made. Cases may also be found in journals or legal newspapers.

You may be able to find foreign reporters in print on the 1st floor of the Bennett Jones Law Library.

Generally, the steps are the same as for Canadian legal research:

1. Start with secondary sources which include encyclopedias, books and journal articles. They provide an overview of the law and background information and give references (citations) to relevant legislation.
2. Use the library search box on library page to locate books. Search under "subject" with terms "law" and the country's name.
3. Continue with primary materials including legislation, regulations and cases.
4. Ensure the law is current.

• Many countries put their statutes on the Internet free of charge. Some governments may provide websites with bills, statutes and regulations.
• The amount available will depend on the country.
• Not everything is on the Internet.
• Not everything is written in English. Translations may not be official.

Look at research guides for a specific country to determine what information is available. The Foreign Law Guide is a database that describes legal systems and references sources of law. It may also provide information about English translations. Look for a LII (Legal Information Institute) website, or something similar, for that particular country. the most general is WorldLII.

Information about countries and regions may be found in a number of resources. The How to Find Country Information guide will provide an overview of the resources that are available at the University of Calgary Library. The guide provides tips on how to use the various Discovery Tools available as well a selection of websites.

Published (reported) cases may be located by topic, case name or citation. Citations may be found in books or articles. Reported cases can be located on legal databases using their citation

The Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals is available on the database HeinOnline. If a journal is there, it may be available in full text.

Here are a selection of books related to foreign legal research.

Links to Internet sources useful for background information on legal systems of various countries:

When dealing with foreign countries in relation to Canadian law, look at their court system to determine how persuasive a case will be in Canadian courts.