Guides: British Legal Materials: General Information

Note The library cannot tell you what the law means for your situation.

About This Guide

The library has a collection of British legal materials covering the period from 1220-1971. This guide lists a selection of significant titles, including case reporters, statutes, digests, and legal encyclopedias.

Case Reporters

Below are a selection of common and significant British reporters in the collection, listed in chronological order.

English Reports, Full Reprint (1220-1867) — HeinOnline
The English Reports delivers exact page images of the original bound reprint edition, containing more than 100,000 cases, together with the Indexes and Book of Charts. In addition, multiple navigation tools, such as a Case Locator, Chart Tool, and an Advanced Search feature enhance the ease of access to specific cases. Also included in this collection is the Statutes of the Realm (1235-1713), along with Pre-1865 Law Reports.

English Reports Full Reprint
1220-1865
Reprint of the nominate reports. When there were competing sets of reports, the editors included only the most accurate. Online access through Common LII is available from any computer. Online access is also available through HeinOnline for those with a library account.
Year Books
1270-1535
Earliest law reports covering the period from the late thirteenth to mid-sixteenth centuries. Written in law-French, though modern reprint sets include English translations along with the original text. Available in the library's archives.
Nominate Reports
1535-1865
Over 260 old reports are referred to generically as the Nominate Reports. The reports are named after the individual publishing the reports. Three of the most cited and well-known reports are those of Plowden, Coke, and Saunders. Many are reprinted in the English Reports. Available in the library's archives. Online access through HeinOnline is available for those with a library account.
All-England Law Reports
1558-1935
Six thousand of the "more important" cases in 36 volumes, chosen from the Law Times Reports and nominate reports. Available in the library's archives.
Law Reports (Incorporated Council of Law Reporting)
1865-1971
Since 1865, the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting has produced several series of reports (known collectively as the Law Reports). These are typically regarded as the most authoritative texts. The reports are divided into the following series: Appellate, Chancery and Equity, Common Law, and Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty. Available in the library's archives.
Weekly Notes
1866-1952
Notes of cases heard and determined by the House of Lords, the Court of Appeal, the Chancery, Queen's Bench, and Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Divisions of the High Court of Justice, and cases in bankruptcy. Available in the library's archives.
Law Reports: Queen's Bench Division (Incorporated Council of Law Reporting)
1876-1900
Decisions by the Common Pleas and Exchequer divisions of the High Court of Justice, and by the Court of Appeal on appeal therefrom, and by the Court for Crown Cases Reserved. Also, decisions of the Railway and Canal Commission. Available in the library's archives.
Law Reports: King's Bench Division (Incorporated Council of Law Reporting)
1901-1934
Decisions of the Court of Criminal Appeal, decisions on Crown Cases Reserved, and decisions of the Railway and Canal Commission. Available in the library's archives.

Statutes

Early English Laws
600-1215
A project of two London universities, Early English Laws "is a project to publish online and in print new editions and translations of all English legal codes, edicts, and treatises produced up to the time of Magna Carta 1215." Available in the library's archives.
Statutes at Large (Ruffhead and Runnington)
1215-1800
This set of The Statutes at Large, edited by Owen Ruffhead and revised by Charles Runnington, covers the period from the Magna Carta through the twenty-fifth year of the reign of King George the Third. Runnington edited additional volumes to bring the series up to 1800. Available in the library's archives.
Statutes at Large (Pickering)
1215-1806
This set of The Statutes at Large, edited by Danby Pickering, covers the period from the Magna Carta through the end of the Eleventh Parliament of Great Britain (1761), and continues to 1806. Available in the library's archives.
Statutes of the Realm
1235-1713
This set is a compilation of English statutes from the 13th through early 16th centuries and is considered one of the most authoritative sources for older UK legislation. Online access through HeinOnline is available for those with a library account.
The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
1807-1869
This set continues Pickering's Statutes at Large, comprising volumes 47 through 105. Available in the library's archives.

Digests

These selected abridgements organize cases by subject matter, similar to West's topical digests.

Harrison’s analytical digest
1756-1872
Samuel Bealey Harrison's original digest covers the years 1756-1843. Robert Alexander Fisher's expansion of Harrison's original work covers 1756-1870 with an additional volume in 1872. Available in the library's archives. Also available online through Hathi Trust and the Internet Archive.
Digest of English Case Law (Mews)
1898-1925
English and Empire Digest
1919-1935

Legal Encyclopedias

Like their American counterparts American Jurisprudence and Corpus Juris Secundum, British legal encyclopedias provide an overview of the entire body of law, citing to case law, statutes, and administrative law.

Encyclopaedia of the Laws of England
First edition, 1897-1903.
Online access through HeinOnline is available for those with a library account.
Encyclopaedia of the Laws of England
2nd edition, 1906-1909.
Halsbury’s Laws of England
1931-1936.

Research Guides

Online guides to help you learn more about the legal system of the United Kingdom.

United Kingdom Legal Research Guide (Georgetown University)
This in-depth guide will help researchers navigate legal materials for the United Kingdom.
Legal history: England & common law tradition (University of Oxford)
This guide is intended for students and researchers studying the legal history of the common law tradition at the University of Oxford, although students and researchers from any field may find it useful.

Note The library cannot tell you what the law means for your situation.