This is a guide on OSCOLA referencing, a citation format that is frequently used in the legal profession. The Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA), which is extensively used in the UK and other nations, has its name from there.
When referring using OSCOLA, sources are included in a bibliography at the end of the paper in alphabetical order by last name of the authors and are mentioned in footnotes or endnotes using a number system.
Here are some examples of how to cite different types of sources in OSCOLA style:
Journal article:
- Author(s) Last name Initials, 'Article title' [Year] Journal name Volume (Issue) Page numbers.
Example:
Smith AB, 'The Role of International Law in Environmental Protection' [2020] International Journal of Law and Policy 10(2) 35-40.
Book:
- Author(s) Last name Initials, Book title (Publisher Year).
Example:
Williams DE, Brown KL, Medical Microbiology (Mosby Elsevier 2017).
Case:
Case name [Year] Volume report abbreviation First page.
Example:
Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] UKHL 100, [1932] AC 562.
Website:
- Author(s) Last name Initials (if available), 'Title of webpage' (Name of website year) <URL> accessed date.
Example:
World Health Organization, 'Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak' (WHO 2023) https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease/novel-coronavirus-2019 accessed 18 April 2023.
In OSCOLA style, footnotes or endnotes are indicated by a superscript number after the relevant text. The corresponding reference would be listed in the bibliography at the end of the document as:
Smith AB, 'The Role of International Law in Environmental Protection' [2020] International Journal of Law and Policy 10(2) 35-40.
We hope this guide has been helpful in illustrating how to use OSCOLA referencing. If you have any further questions or need assistance with your citations, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
