Free OSCOLA Case Citation Generator
Generate accurate OSCOLA citations for UK legal cases. Perfect for law students and legal professionals.
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How to cite a case in OSCOLA
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Paste a DOI, URL, ISBN, title, or author name to find the exact source record.
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Verify author, year, title, container, and publication details before copying the final citation.
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Get the complete OSCOLA citation plus the matching in-text citation or footnote format.
OSCOLA Case Citation Format
Reported Case:
With Volume Number:
Unreported Case:
OSCOLA Case Citation Examples
Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)
Footnote: R v Smith [2024] EWCA Crim 123 [15]
Criminal appeal case with paragraph reference
Supreme Court
Footnote: Miller (n 1) [40]
Leading constitutional case
High Court
Footnote: Jones v Williams [2024] EWHC 456 (QB) [23]
Queen's Bench Division case
European Court of Justice
Footnote: Van Gend en Loos (n 3)
EU law foundational case
Unreported Case
Footnote: R v Brown (n 4)
Case not published in law reports
Examples formatted in OSCOLA style
Common UK Court Abbreviations
UKSC
UK Supreme Court
EWCA Civ / Crim
Court of Appeal (Civil/Criminal)
EWHC
High Court of England and Wales
UKUT / UKFTT
Upper Tribunal / First-tier Tribunal
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite a case in OSCOLA?
Case citations include: Case name in italics, [year] or (year), volume number (if any), law report abbreviation, first page. Example: R v Smith [2024] EWCA Crim 123. Include paragraph numbers for pinpoint references: [15].
What is the difference between [year] and (year) in case citations?
Square brackets [year] are used when the year is essential to locate the case. Round brackets (year) are used when the year is not essential because the report has a volume number. Example: [2024] UKSC 1 vs Smith v Jones (2020) 123 LR 456.
How do I cite a case in a footnote?
Use the full case citation with paragraph reference if applicable. Example: R v Smith [2024] EWCA Crim 123 [15]. For subsequent references to the same case, you can use: ibid (if immediately following) or Smith (n 1) [20].
How do I cite unreported cases in OSCOLA?
For unreported cases, include the court and case number. Example: R v Brown (Central Criminal Court, 15 January 2024) unreported. Include the judgment date and note it as unreported.
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