University of New South Wales - Library - Guide to Legal Research Materials

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This subject guide has been prepared by Law Library staff. Contact blah blah blah for further information or assistance in this subject area.

These sources consist of authoritative texts of law made by law-making bodies and include:

Legislation: Acts or Statutes of Parliament.
Subordinate Legislation: Rules, Regulations, By-Laws. These are made by individuals or bodies to which Parliament has delegated authority.
Law Reports: published reports of decisions or judgments of courts or tribunals.

Secondary sources of legal information perform one of two functions:

assist in locating relevant primary sources of law. These include current awareness and digest services such as Australian Current Law.
assist in the interpretation of relevant primary sources. These include sources such as journal articles, textbooks and encyclopedias.
When commencing legal research it is often helpful to begin with secondary sources, as most will provide you with an overview of the subject as well as useful references or citations to primary materials on the subject.