Our Research Methodology

Every page on UK Law Reference is the product of a defined research and editorial process. This page explains how we find, evaluate, write, and update our content so that readers can understand the basis for what we publish and make informed judgements about how to use it.

How We Research the Law

Our starting point for any legal topic is always primary legislation and judicial authority. We do not begin from secondary commentary and work backwards; we begin from the statute or judgment and synthesise upwards. This approach minimises the risk of compounding errors that can occur when summaries of summaries are used as source material.

For statute pages, contributors read the current consolidated text of the Act as published on legislation.gov.uk, noting any amendments, commencement provisions, and territorial extent. Where a section has been amended since Royal Assent, we identify the amending instrument and reflect the current law rather than the as-enacted text.

For case law pages, we read the full judgment in neutral citation format from BAILII, the Judiciary website, or the UK Supreme Court's own judgment portal. We do not rely on press summaries alone. Ratio decidendi is identified by close reading of the lead judgment, with dissenting opinions noted where significant.

Source Hierarchy

We rank our sources in a strict hierarchy. Higher-tier sources displace lower-tier sources where there is any conflict or ambiguity.

1. 1

   Tier 1 — Primary legislation

   Acts of Parliament in consolidated form from legislation.gov.uk. For devolved matters, Scottish Parliament Acts from legislation.gov.uk and Acts of Senedd Cymru.

2. 2

   Tier 2 — Secondary legislation

   Statutory instruments, rules of court (CPR, CrimPR, FPR, TPR), and Welsh Statutory Instruments, all sourced from legislation.gov.uk.

3. 3

   Tier 3 — Judicial authority

   Judgments from the UK Supreme Court, Privy Council, Court of Appeal, and High Court, in that order of weight. Sourced from BAILII and the Judiciary website.

4. 4

   Tier 4 — Official guidance

   GOV.UK guidance, Ministry of Justice circulars, HMCTS practice directions, and regulator guidance (FCA, ICO, CQC, Ofcom, etc.). Used to explain how public bodies apply the law.

5. 5

   Tier 5 — Ombudsman and tribunal decisions

   Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Legal Ombudsman, First-tier and Upper Tribunal decisions. Useful for illustrating how rules operate in practice.

6. 6

   Tier 6 — Recognised academic commentary

   Established practitioners' texts (e.g. Smith & Hogan Criminal Law, Treitel on Contract, Clerk & Lindsell on Torts, Rimer's Equity & Trusts). Used for context, not as a substitute for primary sources.

Update Cycle

Plain English Principles

• Define before using

  Technical legal terms are defined the first time they appear on a page.

• Active voice

  We prefer active constructions where this does not alter meaning.

• Short sentences for complexity

  Complex legal rules are broken into component parts, then cited.

• No false simplification

  Conditions, exceptions, and jurisdictional limitations are always stated.

• Signposting

  Headers, bullet points, and numbered lists give readers navigational cues.

Jurisdiction Handling

Every page carries a jurisdiction indicator: England & Wales, UK-wide, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. Where a statute applies differently across jurisdictions, we note this explicitly. Devolved matters are treated with particular care.

What We Do Not Do

• We do not provide legal advice or analysis of individual circumstances.
• We do not draft, review, or comment on legal documents.
• We do not track unreported judgments or first-instance decisions systematically.
• We do not cover foreign law as a primary resource.
• We do not guarantee that any page reflects the law as it stands on the precise date you read it.