Legal cases appear in essays, policy memos, and a dissertation. Use a steady pattern for names, years, and report details. Keep court spelling and capitalisation as printed. Do not alter punctuation in the case title.
What a Case Citation Needs
- Case title (parties)
- Year
- Report series and volume for reported cases
- First page (and a pinpoint page when needed)
- Court abbreviation or decision number for medium-neutral items
Add entries under a Cases sub-heading in your reference list when your guide asks for it. Clear sourcing supports plagiarism checks.
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Table for Quick Pick
| You used… | In-text | Reference list essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Reported case (law report) | Case Title (Year) volume Series page | Case Title (Year) volume Series page |
| Medium-neutral citation (decision on a court site) | Case Title [Year] Court Abbrev decision # | Case Title [Year] Court Abbrev decision # |
| Pinpoint to a page | use at page | same as above; pinpoints stay in text |
Reported Cases
In-text
*Masters v Cameron* (1954) 91 CLR 353
Pinpoint with at:
*Masters v Cameron* (1954) 91 CLR 353 at 358
Reference list
*Masters v Cameron* (1954) 91 CLR 353
You may introduce a short form after the first full mention, e.g., ‘Masters’.
Another pattern (used in narrative lines):
… a mere agreement to agree is not enforceable: *Masters* [1954] HCA 72, [11].
Keep the report series exactly as shown (e.g., CLR, AC, KB, F.2d).
Medium-Neutral Decisions (MNC)
These are court or tribunal decisions identified without a report series.
In-text
*Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Allergy Pathway Pty Ltd* [2009] FCA 960
Reference list
*Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Allergy Pathway Pty Ltd* [2009] FCA 960
Structure: case title, [Year], court code, decision number.
US and Other Jurisdictions
Follow the source you used. Keep series and court notes.
- US Supreme Court:
In-text: *Bartnicki v Vopper* (2001) 532 US at 514 - Early US reports / state reports:
In-text: *Thorne v Deas* (1809) 4 Johns. (N.Y. Sup. Ct.) 84
Circuit, state, and district examples use the same pattern:
- Circuit: *Lawrence v Heller* (1962) 311 F.2d at 225 (10th Cir.)
- State: *Sohappy v Smith* (1969) 302 F. Supp. at 899
- District: *Mullins v Parkview Hosp., Inc.* (2007) 865 N.E.2d at 608
When a city is missing, a state or court note can clarify context.
In-text Rules that Save Time
- Use italics for the case title.
- Put the year right after the title.
- For a pinpoint, write “at” then the page: … at 181.
- Place citations outside the sentence period.
Building Your Reference List
Create a Cases sub-heading (if your department requires it). Then list items alphabetically by the first party’s name.
Examples
- *The State of New South Wales v The Commonwealth* (1915) 20 CLR 54
- *Greutner v Everard* (1960) 103 CLR 177
If your paper also cites Acts or Regulations, add separate sub-headings for those. This mirrors common Harvard Referencing Style layouts.
Online Decisions vs Report Series
If you used a court website page, use the medium-neutral line.
If you used a law report volume (print or PDF), use the reported case line. Match your in-text citation to the same source type. Stay consistent across your paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
When citing case law in-text using Harvard referencing, include the case name and year in parentheses, e.g., (Smith v. Jones, 2022). If directly quoting, add the page number, e.g., (Smith v. Jones, 2022, p. 15). In your bibliography, provide a full case citation with the case name, year, volume, reporter, and page.
List cases that are central to your argument. Many guides group them under Cases.
Pick one source for each case and stay with it in that paper.
For a medium-neutral court page, you can add a link if your department allows links in legal entries. If you cite a law report volume, you usually omit URLs.
Introduce a short form after the first full entry, then use it in running text (e.g., Masters). Keep the reference list in full.
