Law reports - Australia - Legal abbreviations - Subject guides at University of Sydney

Law reports A-Z

A Crim R - Australian Criminal Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (1979- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
A Def R - Australian Defamation Reports
Limited online coverage available via the Case Law folder within the Australian Defamation Law & Practice (Lexis Advance) service.
Hard-copy available in the Law Library via the looseleaf service (1973-1996)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
AAR - Administrative Appeals Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 38, 2003- )
Hard-copy available in the Law Library from vol. 1, 1984 and onwards (Reports AUS-AAR)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ABC (NS) - Australian Bankruptcy Cases (New Series)
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 1, 1999- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ABC - Australian Bankruptcy Cases
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol.1, 1928 - v.20, 1964)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ACCR - Australian Consumer Credit Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (2 vols. 1994-1997)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ACLC - Australian Company Law Cases
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (vol. 1, 1982- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ACLR - Australian Corporations & Securities Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1974 - v. 15, 1989)
Hard-copy available in the Law Library.
Continued by the Australian Corporation & Securities Reports (ACSR)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ACSR - Australian Corporations and Securities Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1990- )
Preceded by the Australian Company Law Reports (ACLR)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ACTLR - Australian Capital Territory Law Reports
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 1, 2007- )
Authorised report series for the ACT
ACTR - Australian Capital Territory Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1973- )
Hard-copy formerly published at the back of the Australian Law Report series.
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
AIPC - Australian Intellectual Property Cases
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (1998- )
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (1982- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
AITR - Australian and New Zealand Income Tax Reports
Preceded by the Australian Income Tax Reports
Continued by the Australasian Tax Reports
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 3, 1948 - vol. 10, 1968)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
AITR - Australian Income Tax Reports
Continued by the Australian and New Zealand Income Tax Reports
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 1, 1940 - vol. 2, 1944)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ALD - Administrative Law Decisions
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1976- )
Authorised report series for the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
ALJR - Australian Law Journal Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 77, 2002- )
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 1, 1927- )
Previously issued as part of the Australian Law Journal.
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
ALR - Argus Law Reports
Alternative abbreviations = ArgusLawRp ; Argus LR
Continued by the Australian Argus Law Reports.
Access via AustLII (1895-1950)
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 1, 1895 - v. 66, 1959)
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
ALR - Australian Argus Law Reports
Continued by the Australian Law Reports.
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (1960-1973)
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
ALR - Australian Law Reports
Preceded by the Australian Argus Law Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1973- )
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
ALT - Australian Law Times (Vic)
Continued by the Victorian Law Reports.
Access via HeinOnline (vol. 1, 1879 - vol. 49, 1928)
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
ANZ Insurance Cases - Australian & New Zealand Insurance Cases
Jurisdiction: Australia and New Zealand
Alternative abbreviation = ANZ Ins Cas
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (1979- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ASTLR - Australian Succession and Trusts Law Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 2005- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ATC - Australian Tax Cases
Preceded by the Australasian Tax Decisions
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (1969- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ATD - Australasian Tax Decisions
Preceded by Australian Tax Decisions
Continued by Australian Tax Cases
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (vol. 7, 1943 - v. 15, 1969)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ATD - Australian Tax Decisions
Continued by the Australasian Tax Decisions
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (vol. 1, 1930 - v. 6, 1942)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ATPR - Australian Competition and Consumer Cases
Formerly named Australian Trade Practices Reports.
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (1974- )
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 1, 1974 - vol. 32, 2010)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
ATR - Australian Tax Reports
Access via Checkpoint (vol. 1, 1969- )
Named the Australasian Tax Reports until 1988
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
Aust Contract R - Australian Contract Reports
Alternative abbreviation = Aust Contract Reports
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (2000- )
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (1991-2009)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
Aust Torts Reports - Australian Torts Reports
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (1998- )
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (1984- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
BPR - Butterworths Property Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1970s- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
CLR - Commonwealth Law Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 1903- )
Authorised report series for the High Court of Australia
CTBR (NS) - Commonwealth Taxation Board of Review Decisions (New Series)
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 1, 1950 - vol. 29, 1986)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
CTBR - Commonwealth Taxation Board of Review Decisions
Alternative abbreviation = CTBR (OS)
A reprint of selected cases from the ‘Decisions of the Boards of Review’. Continued by the Commonwealth Taxation Board of Review Decisions (New Series)
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vo1. 1, 1925 - vol. 4, 1949)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
DCLR (NSW) - Lawbook Co.'s District Court Law Reports (NSW)
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 2003-)
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
DCR (NSW) - District Court Reports (NSW)
Alternative abbreviation = DCR
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (3 vols). Covers cases from 1952-1975.
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
Fam LR - Family Law Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1976- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
FCR - Federal Court Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 1984- )
Authorised report series for the Federal Court of Australia
FLC - Australian Family Law Cases
Access via CCH IntelliConnect (1976- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
FLR - Federal Law Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 1956- )
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
IPR - Intellectual Property Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1983- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
IR - Industrial Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 1981- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
LGERA - Local Government and Environmental Reports of Australia
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 78, 1992- )
Preceded by the Local Government Reports of Australia (LGRA).
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
LGRA - Local Government Reports of Australia
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 1956 - vol. 77, 1992)
Continued by the Local Government and Environmental Reports of Australia (LGERA)
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
MVR - Motor Vehicle Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1983- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
NSWLR - New South Wales Law Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (1971- )
Authorised report series for the courts of NSW
QCLLR - Queensland Crown Lands Law Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1864 - vol. 40, 1973)
Continued by the Queensland Land Court Reports
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
Qd R - Queensland Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (1974- )
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (1958- )
Preceded by the State Reports, Queensland (1902-1957)
Authorised report series for the Supreme Court of Queensland
QLCR - Queensland Land Court Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (vol. 1, 1974 - vol. 21, 1999)
Preceded by the Queensland Crown Lands Law Reports
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
QPELR - Queensland Planning and Environmental Law Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (1996- )
Preceded by the Queensland Planning Law Reports
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
QPLR - Queensland Planning Law Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (1982-1995)
Continued by the Queensland Planning and Environment Law Reports
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
QSR - Queensland State Reports
Alternative abbreviation = St R Qd
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (1902-1957)
Continued by the Queensland Reports (1958- )
Authorised report series for the Supreme Court of Queensland
SASR - South Australian State Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 1971- )
Preceded by The State Reports, South Australia
Authorised report series for the Supreme Court of SA
SR (NSW) - State Reports (New South Wales)
Access via AustLII (vol. 1, 1901 - vol. 51, 1950).
Hard copy available in Law Library (vol.1, 1901 - vol.72, 1970)
Followed and preceded by the New South Wales Law Reports
Authorised report series for the Supreme Court of NSW.
Tas R - Tasmanian Reports
Access via AustLII (1979-1991)
Preceded by the Tasmanian State Reports (Tas SR)
Authorised report series for the Supreme Court of Tasmania
Tas R - Tasmanian Reports
Access via Westlaw Australia (vol. 1, 1992- )
Preceded by the Tasmanian State Reports (Tas SR)
Authorised report series for the Supreme Court of Tasmania
VAR - Victorian Administrative Reports
Hard-copy available in the Law Library (vol. 1, 1985- )
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
VLR - Victorian Law Reports
Alternative abbreviation = VicLawRp
Access via AustLII (1874-1956)
Continued by the Victorian Reports
Authorised report series for the Supreme Court of Victoria
VR - Victorian Reports
Access via Lexis Advance (1957- )
Preceded by the Victorian Law Reports
Authorised report series for the Supreme Court of Victoria

Which version of a case should I cite?

It's common for leading cases to be published in several law report series.

According to rule 2.7 in the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC), the "most authoritative available version of a case should be cited."

When deciding which version of a case to cite, rule 2.3.1 sets out the following hierarchy:

Authorised report series
Generalist (unauthorised) report series
Subject-specific (unauthorised) report series
The unreported (AustLII) version of the judgment

Tip #1: To find out if a case has been 'reported', look up the judgment in a case citator (e.g. CaseBase).

Tip #2: For Australian judgments, CaseBase always lists the most authoritative case citation first.

Legal abbreviations: Law reports - Australia

Law reports A-Z

Which version of a case should I cite?