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What Is OSCOLA?
OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities) is the standard referencing format used by UK law schools, courts, and legal journals. It was developed by the Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford and is now in its 4th edition (2012, with ongoing online updates).
OSCOLA is a footnote-based system — there are no in-text parenthetical citations. All references appear in footnotes at the bottom of the page, and a bibliography (usually divided into Table of Cases, Table of Legislation, and Secondary Sources) appears at the end of the essay or dissertation.
One of OSCOLA's distinguishing features is its deliberately minimal use of punctuation. There are no full stops after abbreviations, no commas between the volume and the first page of a journal article, and no full stop at the end of a footnote reference unless it is the only citation in that note. This can feel counterintuitive — follow OSCOLA's rules exactly.
Footnote-Based System
Every reference to a case, statute, or secondary source is made via a superscript footnote number in the text, with the full citation appearing in the corresponding footnote. Unlike Chicago NB, OSCOLA does not use ibid. or short titles in the same way — subsequent references use the case name or a short author/title form.
Pinpoint Citations
A pinpoint citation specifies the exact paragraph, page, or section you are drawing from. OSCOLA requires pinpoints to be as precise as possible:
- For cases: cite the paragraph number: Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 (HL) 580.
- For journal articles: cite the page: A Burrows, 'We Do This at Common Law but That in Equity' (2002) 22 OJLS 1, 5.
- For books: cite the page number after the edition/publisher information.
Cases
UK Cases — Neutral Citations (2001 onwards)
Cases decided since 2001 have a neutral citation assigned by the court. Always use the neutral citation if one exists, then optionally add a report citation.
Common Law Report Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Report |
|---|---|
| AC | Law Reports: Appeal Cases |
| QB or KB | Queen's/King's Bench Division |
| Ch | Chancery Division |
| WLR | Weekly Law Reports |
| All ER | All England Law Reports |
| UKHL / UKSC | House of Lords / Supreme Court (neutral) |
| EWCA / EWHC | Court of Appeal / High Court (neutral) |
UK Statutes
UK Acts of Parliament are cited by their short title and year only — no publisher, no footnote, no italics for the title.
Case names are italicised; statute titles are not. This is a common error: Human Rights Act 1998 (correct) vs. Human Rights Act 1998 (incorrect in OSCOLA).
Secondary Sources: Journal Articles and Books
EU Law
Online Legal Sources
Bibliography Structure
OSCOLA bibliographies are divided into separate sections, each in alphabetical order:
- Table of Cases — case names alphabetically, with full citation. Case names are italicised.
- Table of Legislation — statutes and statutory instruments alphabetically. Not italicised.
- Secondary Sources — books, journal articles, online sources alphabetically by author surname.
Common OSCOLA Errors
| Error | Correct approach |
|---|---|
| In-text parenthetical citations | OSCOLA uses footnotes only — no in-text citations |
| Italicising statute names | Statute names are not italicised; case names are |
| Full stops in abbreviations (H.L.) | No full stops: HL, AC, QB, EWCA |
| Comma between volume and first page | (2002) 22 OJLS 1 — no comma between 22 and OJLS 1 |
| Citing a case without pinpoint | Always cite the specific page or paragraph where the relevant passage appears |