How to Reference in OSCOLA Style

How to Reference in OSCOLA Style: A UK Law Student’s Guide (2026)

OSCOLA (Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities) is the standard referencing system used in UK law schools, legal journals, and professional legal practice. Unlike author-date systems (Harvard, APA), OSCOLA uses footnote citations rather than in-text citations: every time you cite a source, a superscript number appears in the main text and the full citation appears at the bottom of the page in a footnote. This guide explains the core rules of OSCOLA referencing with examples for all major source types.

How OSCOLA Works: Footnotes, Not In-Text Citations

In OSCOLA, there are no author-date citations within the body of your text. Instead, a superscript number (like this¹) appears after the relevant sentence or clause, and the full citation appears in a numbered footnote at the bottom of the page. The full citation is given on first use; subsequent citations to the same source use a shortened form. A bibliography at the end of the piece lists all sources by category.

OSCOLA Citation Formats by Source Type

Cases

Case names are italicised. Include the neutral citation (if available) followed by the law report citation:

Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 (HL)

R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union [2017] UKSC 5, [2018] AC 61

Where a neutral citation is available (cases from 2001 onwards), cite it first, followed by the law report citation. Party names are abbreviated after the first citation: Miller (n 5) [10].

UK Legislation (Acts of Parliament)

Acts are not italicised. Include the year but no round brackets:

Equality Act 2010, s 26

Human Rights Act 1998, Sch 1, Pt I, art 8

Journal Articles

Author Surname, ‘Article Title’ (Year) Volume(Issue) Journal Abbreviation First Page

Example: A Burrows, ‘We Do This at Common Law but That in Equity’ (2002) 22 OJLS 1

Books

Author Surname, Title (Edition if not first, Publisher Year) page/para

Example: W Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (Clarendon Press 1765) vol 1, 91

Example: A Burrows, A Restatement of the English Law of Unjust Enrichment (OUP 2012) 45

Websites and Online Sources

Author (if identified), ‘Page Title’ (Website Name, Date) <URL> accessed Day Month Year

Example: Lord Neuberger, ‘The British and Europe’ (Cambridge Freshfields Annual Law Lecture, 12 February 2014) <https://www.supremecourt.uk/docs/speech-140212.pdf> accessed 15 June 2026

OSCOLA Bibliography Format

The bibliography lists all sources cited in your footnotes, organised by type: Cases → Legislation → Books → Chapters in Edited Books → Journal Articles → Other Sources. Within each category, list alphabetically. Cases are listed by first party name; legislation by title; secondary sources by author surname.

OSCOLA bibliography entries differ slightly from footnote entries. For books, the bibliography entry format is: Surname A, Title (Publisher Year). For journal articles: Surname A, ‘Article Title’ (Year) Volume(Issue) Journal Abbreviation First Page.

Shortened Forms and Ibid

When you cite the same source again in a later footnote (not immediately following), use the author’s surname and a cross-reference to the first footnote: Burrows (n 5) 67. When the same source is cited in the immediately following footnote, use ‘ibid’ (meaning “in the same place”): ibid 68. OSCOLA does not use ‘op cit’, ‘supra’, or ‘loc cit’.

Common OSCOLA Mistakes to Avoid

• Using author-date citations in the text instead of footnotes.
• Italicising statute names (Acts are not italicised in OSCOLA).
• Failing to include a neutral citation when citing post-2001 cases.
• Using ‘p’ for page numbers (OSCOLA simply states the number, e.g., 45, not p 45).
• Failing to include a bibliography organised by source type.

Frequently Asked Questions About OSCOLA

Is OSCOLA used only in law?

OSCOLA is used primarily in UK law schools and legal practice. Some politics and international relations programmes use it when dealing with legal materials. If you are in a non-law programme and your assignment involves citing legislation or case law, check whether your department expects OSCOLA or whether they adapt their standard referencing style (Harvard, Chicago) for legal materials. Most non-law programmes do not require full OSCOLA compliance.

Where can I find the official OSCOLA guide?

The official OSCOLA guide (4th edition) is freely available from the Oxford Law Faculty website (www.law.ox.ac.uk). It is a 52-page document that covers all source types in detail. Your university library or law school may also publish its own OSCOLA quick reference guide tailored to your institution’s specific requirements, which is often more accessible for students new to legal referencing.

Do I need a table of cases and table of legislation in OSCOLA?

Yes — longer OSCOLA-formatted work (dissertations, theses, and substantial essays) should include a table of cases and a table of legislation at the front of the document, listed alphabetically and with a pinpoint to the page(s) where each is cited. Shorter essays and problem questions do not typically require these tables unless your module handbook specifically asks for them — check your assignment brief.

How do I cite a case that has no neutral citation?

Older cases predating the introduction of neutral citation (around 2001) should be cited using the traditional Law Report citation instead, in the order of preference set out in OSCOLA: Law Reports, then Weekly Law Reports, then All England Law Reports, then a specialist series. Include the case name in italics, the year, volume (if applicable), the report abbreviation, and the first page of the report.

Related Study Guides

• How to reference in OSCOLA: complete law guide
• Best law dissertation topics for UK students
• How to cite sources: complete UK guide
• How to avoid plagiarism

OSCOLA for International and European Sources

Legal research frequently requires referencing international treaties, EU materials, and sources from other jurisdictions. OSCOLA provides guidance for these:

EU Regulations and Directives: Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters [2001] OJ L12/1. For directives: Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data [1995] OJ L281/31.

ECHR Cases: Osman v United Kingdom (1998) 29 EHRR 245. If the ECHR case has not been reported in the European Human Rights Reports, cite by application number and date: Bayatyan v Armenia App no 23459/03 (ECtHR, 7 July 2011).

International Treaties: Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (adopted 23 May 1969, entered into force 27 January 1980) 1155 UNTS 331. Cite by full title, adoption date, entry into force date, and UN Treaty Series reference.

Practical OSCOLA Tips for UK Law Students

• Use footnotes, not endnotes: OSCOLA citations appear in footnotes at the bottom of each page, not in endnotes at the end of the document. Check your word processor’s settings to ensure footnotes are configured correctly.
• Consistent footnote numbering: Footnote numbers run sequentially throughout the document — they do not restart at each chapter or section.
• Do not use brackets around judgement paragraph numbers: OSCOLA uses square brackets for paragraph numbers only in case citations, e.g., Smith v Jones [2022] UKSC 5 [47]. Plain square brackets are part of the citation format, not optional.
• Case names in italics, statutes not: Case names are always italicised. Statute titles are never italicised in OSCOLA — they are in plain text with capital letters: Human Rights Act 1998.
• Journal abbreviations: UK and international law journals use standard abbreviations — e.g., LQR (Law Quarterly Review), OJLS (Oxford Journal of Legal Studies), MLR (Modern Law Review), ICLQ (International and Comparative Law Quarterly). A list of standard abbreviations is included in the full OSCOLA guide at law.ox.ac.uk.

Additional OSCOLA FAQ

How do I cite Law Commission reports in OSCOLA?

Law Commission reports are cited as: Law Commission, Title of Report (Law Com No [number], Year). For example: Law Commission, Cohabitation: The Financial Consequences of Relationship Breakdown (Law Com No 307, 2007). Scottish Law Commission reports follow the same format: Scottish Law Commission, Report on Unjustified Enrichment (Scot Law Com No 239, 2016). Government command papers (Cm or Cmnd numbers) are cited as: Lord Chancellor’s Department, The Governance of Britain (Cm 7170, 2007).

Do I need to include a bibliography if all my sources are in footnotes?

Yes. In OSCOLA, the bibliography at the end of the document is separate from, and in addition to, the footnotes. Footnotes provide citations at the point of use in the main text; the bibliography provides a consolidated alphabetical list of all sources cited, organised by type. The bibliography is an essential component of OSCOLA-formatted work. Its absence — even if all footnote citations are complete and correct — is an error that costs marks in assessed work and is non-standard in any formal legal writing.