OSCOLA Referencing Guide
Complete OSCOLA 4th edition citation guide with examples.
Core Rule
OSCOLA citations are footnote-first. Put the authority in the footnote, keep punctuation light, and use a bibliography only when the work calls for one. Primary sources come before secondary sources, and cases normally come before legislation.
Cases
Format
Case Name [Year] Volume Law Report Page (Court), pinpoint
Example
Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 (HL).
Use italics for the case name in formal documents. Add a pinpoint after the first page when referring to a specific page or paragraph.
Neutral Citations
Format
Case Name [Year] Court Number, [Year] Volume Law Report Page
Example
Corr v IBC Vehicles Ltd [2008] UKHL 13, [2008] 1 AC 884.
Where a neutral citation is available, give it before the best law report citation.
Statutes
Format
Short Title Year, section or schedule
Example
Human Rights Act 1998, s 6; Companies Act 2006, ss 171-177.
Use s for one section, ss for multiple sections, sch for schedule, and para for paragraph.
Books
Format
Author, Title (edition, Publisher Year) pinpoint
Example
Ewan McKendrick, Contract Law (14th edn, OUP 2022) 45.
Put the title in italics in formal writing. Omit the edition if it is the first edition.
Journal Articles
Format
Author, 'Title' (Year) Volume Journal FirstPage, pinpoint
Example
Jane Stapleton, 'Duty of Care: Peripheral Parties and Alternative Opportunities for Deterrence' (1995) 111 LQR 301, 305.
Use square brackets for the year only when the year is needed to identify the volume.
Web Sources
Format
Author, 'Title' (Site, date) <URL> accessed date
Example
Ministry of Justice, 'Civil Procedure Rule Committee' (GOV.UK, 12 January 2026) <https://www.gov.uk/> accessed 13 May 2026.
Use web sources sparingly for legal propositions if a primary source is available.
Footnotes And Bibliographies
Footnote
Use the full citation the first time. Later references can use the case name, a shortened author/title, or ibid where the reference is exactly the same as the previous footnote.
Bibliography
List secondary sources alphabetically by author surname. Cases and legislation are usually listed in separate tables when a longer piece of work requires them.
Quick Checks Before Submission
- Every proposition of law has a primary source where possible.
- Pinpoints are included for quotations and specific propositions.
- Case names, legislation titles, journal titles, and publisher details are consistent.
- Historical or overruled authorities are clearly described as historical, limited, or overruled.