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UK Law Reference

Source Policy

Last reviewed: May 2026

Every claim of law on UK Law Reference must be traceable to a primary source. This page explains the hierarchy of sources we use, how we cite them, when secondary sources are acceptable, and how we approach foreign and international law.

Primary Source Hierarchy

1legislation.gov.ukUK statutes and regulations
The definitive source for UK primary and secondary legislation. We always cite the consolidated version reflecting amendments. Territorial extent and commencement dates are checked for each provision.
2Judiciary.ukJudgments
The official publication channel for judgments of the Senior Courts in England and Wales. We use the full text, not press summaries, citing the neutral citation and date.
3BAILIICase law database
Comprehensive free database of UK case law including courts not covered by judiciary.uk. Our primary search tool for case law research.
4GOV.UKOfficial guidance
Official government guidance on how legislation is applied. We note clearly that GOV.UK guidance represents government interpretation and policy, not binding law.
5Ministry of Justice / HMCTSCourt administration
Practice directions, court forms, fee schedules, and procedural guidance used for procedure-heavy pages.
6Court Rules (CPR, CrimPR, FPR, TPR)Procedural rules
Civil Procedure Rules 1998, Criminal Procedure Rules 2020, Family Procedure Rules 2010, and Tribunal Procedure Rules. Sourced from legislation.gov.uk.
7Regulator guidanceICO, FCA, CMA, CQC, Ofcom
Statutory regulator guidance used to explain regulatory interpretation of statutory requirements. Noted as not binding on courts.
8Ombudsman guidancePHSO, LGO, Legal Ombudsman
Ombudsman decisions and guidance cited for understanding how redress mechanisms work in practice.
9Recognised legal commentatorsSecondary sources
Established practitioners' texts (Smith & Hogan, Treitel, Clerk & Lindsell, Megarry & Wade, Dicey & Morris). Used to supplement primary sources, never to displace them.

Citation Conventions

Statutes

Short title and year: Misrepresentation Act 1967. Section references in parentheses: (s.2(1)). Links to consolidated version on legislation.gov.uk.

Cases

Neutral citation where available: Caparo Industries plc v Dickman [1990] UKHL 2; [1990] 2 AC 605. Older cases by law report citation with court in parentheses.

Statutory instruments

Full title, year, and SI number: Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (SI 1998/3132). Linked to legislation.gov.uk.

Official guidance

Author organisation, title, and date: ICO, 'Guide to the UK GDPR', January 2024. Linked to source URL.

When Secondary Sources Are Acceptable

Secondary sources are used where:

  • A primary source states the rule but does not explain the reasoning usefully for a general audience
  • The development of a legal doctrine over time is being traced
  • A legal concept is better explained through authoritative commentary than raw primary sources
  • There is a specific interpretative dispute where established commentary has crystallised the arguments

Secondary sources are never used where a primary source directly answers the question.

Foreign Law Sources

We reference foreign and international law only where it has direct bearing on UK law:

  • EU retained law — sourced from legislation.gov.uk and EUR-Lex
  • ECHR — Convention text from the Council of Europe; ECtHR judgments cited by application number
  • International conventions — cited in treaty form with domestic implementing legislation
  • Commonwealth jurisdictions — clearly identified as persuasive only, with weight noted

Source Verification

All external links are checked at time of writing or review. We do not link to unofficial summarisation sites, legal advice forums, or AI-generated legal content as sources. We do not treat Wikipedia as a source of legal authority. Report broken links via our corrections inbox.

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