Website:www.kenyamodelun.or.
ke
Email:[email protected]
Kenya Model of the United Nations
International Law Commission
23rd Session
Introduction to OSCOLA Referencing
OSCOLA (Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities) is a widely used referencing
style for legal academic writing, primarily in the UK. It provides a consistent and
standardised way of citing legal sources, ensuring clarity and accuracy in academic papers,
essays, and other legal publications.
The primary purpose of OSCOLA referencing is to acknowledge the sources you consulted
and enable readers to locate and verify the information you have used. OSCOLA provides
guidelines for referencing various legal sources, including cases, legislation, books, journal
articles, websites, etc.
Key Features of OSCOLA Referencing:
● Footnotes or Endnotes: OSCOLA uses footnotes or endnotes for in-text citations. These
citations are usually numbered sequentially throughout the text and provide information about
the referenced source.
● Pinpoint Citations: OSCOLA allows for pinpoint citations, which means you can refer to
specific pages, paragraphs, or sections of a source to support your arguments or analysis.
● Bibliography: At the end of your document, you need to include a detailed bibliography that
lists all the sources you have cited in alphabetical order by the author's surname.
● Abbreviations: OSCOLA employs specific abbreviations for law reports, journals, and legal
authorities. These abbreviations are designed to save space and provide concise references.
● Consistency: OSCOLA emphasizes the importance of maintaining consistency in referencing
style and formatting throughout your document. This consistency ensures clarity and
facilitates easy cross-referencing.
● Secondary Sources: OSCOLA also provides guidelines for citing secondary sources, such as
sources cited within another source that allow secondary references.
Website:www.kenyamodelun.or.ke
Email:
[email protected] Kenya Model of the United Nations
International Law Commission
23rd Session
OSCOLA Referencing Guide
Here's a simple and understandable guide to OSCOLA referencing, which is a widely used citation
style for legal academic writing:
1. Books:
Format: Author(s), Title (Publisher, Year).
Example: Smith, John, Legal Writing Guide (Oxford University Press, 2022).
2. Journal Articles:
Format: Author(s), 'Title' [Year] Volume(Issue) Journal Page.
Example: Brown, Emily, 'The Evolution of Constitutional Law' [2021] 10(2) Law Review 145.
3. Cases:
Format: Case Name [Year] Court Report Page.
Example: Donoghue v. Stevenson [1932] AC 562.
4. Legislation:
Format: Title of the Act/Statute Year (Jurisdiction Abbreviation).
Example: Equality Act 2010 (UK).
5. Official Publications:
Format: Title, Command Paper Number (Year) Publisher Page.
Example: Law Commission, Legislating the Sale and Supply of Goods (Law Com No 382, 2019) para
4.2.
6. Websites:
Format: Author/Editor, 'Title of Web Page' (Year) Name of Website Accessed Date.
Example: Oxford University Press, 'About OSCOLA' (2022) Oxford Law Citator
https://oxfordlawcitations.com/oscola/about-oscola/ Accessed 15 May 2023.
7. Secondary Sources (citing a source cited within another source):
Format: Cited Source, as cited in Citing Source [Year] Page.
Example: Smith, John, Legal Principles (as cited in Brown, Emily, 'The Evolution of Constitutional
Law' [2021] 10(2) Law Review 145) 25.
8. Encyclopedias
Physical:
Format: Entry Author, ' Entry title', Encyclopaedia Title(edition, year) Pg Number
Example: Smith, John, 'Stare Decisis' (2022), Oxford Legal Encyclopedia (Oxford University Press,
2022).
Online: Entry Author, ' Entry title', Encyclopaedia Title(edition, year) <URL> ACCESSED DATE
Example: Smith, John, 'Stare Decisis' (2022) Oxford Legal Encyclopedia (Online)
https://www.example.com/encyclopedia/stare-decisis Accessed May 29, 2023.
Website:www.kenyamodelun.or.ke
Email:[email protected]
Kenya Model of the United Nations
International Law Commission
23rd Session
9. Official publications (Command Papers and Law Commission Reports):
Format: Law Commission Name, Report Title ( Law commission Report Number, Year) paragraph
number
Example:Legislating the Sale and Supply of Goods, Cm 382 (2019) The Stationery Office 23.
10. Newspaper Articles
Format: Author, ' Title ', Name of Newspaper (Zone e.g city/country/region, date)
Example: Smith, John, 'Scandal Erupts in the Corporate World' [2022] The Daily Gazette 4.
Remember to include a full bibliography at the end of your document, arranged alphabetically by
author's surname.
Note: This guide provides a basic overview of the OSCOLA referencing style. For more specific cases
or detailed examples,consult the official OSCOLA
guide(https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/oscola_4th_edn_hart_2012.pdf ).
