LAW Foreign Legislation
Foreign Legislation
Foreign law is the domestic, national or internal law of a country or jurisdiction.This guide is intended to help researchers locate the legislation of foreign jurisdictions. The tabs found above will open pages that have links to some relevant key sources. Legal databases may be restricted to University of Calgary users or to Faculty of Law users. It does not include international law and treaties. If that is your topic, there is an International Law guide you may wish to use in your research. Legislative materials on paper are located on the 1st floor of the Bennett Jones Law Library.
Generally, the steps are the same as for Canadian legal research:
- Start with secondary sources which include encyclopedias, books and journal articles. They provide an overview of the law and background information and give references (citations) to relevant legislation.
- Use the library search box on library page to locate books. Search under "subject" with terms "law" and the country's name.
- Continue with primary materials including legislation, regulations and cases.
- Ensure the law is current.
Availability of Foreign Materials
- Many countries put their statutes on the Internet free of charge. Some governments may provide websites with bills, statutes and regulations.
- The amount available will depend on the country.
- Not everything is on the Internet.
- Not everything is written in English. Translations may not be official.
Conducting Foreign Legal Research
Look at research guides for a specific country to determine what information is available. The Foreign Law Guide is a database that describes legal systems and references sources of law. It may also provide information about English translations. Look for a LII (Legal Information Institute) website, or something similar, for that particular country. the most general is WorldLII.
- Foreign Law Guide This link opens in a new window
- World Legal Information Institute (WorldLII)Free, independent and non-profit access to worldwide law
How to find Country Information
Information about countries and regions may be found in a number of resources. The How to Find Country Information guide will provide an overview of the resources that are available at the University of Calgary Library. The guide provides tips on how to use the various Discovery Tools available as well a selection of websites.
Secondary Sources for Foreign Law
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
The Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals is available on HeinOnline. If a journal is there, it may be available in full text in another library database.
- Accidental Tourist on the New Frontier byCall Number: K85 .A37 1998ISBN: 0837710758Publication Date: 1998-01-01Law Library
International and Foreign Legal Research by Call Number: K85 .H64 2012ISBN: 9789004204805Publication Date: 2012-04-19Law Library- Introduction to Foreign Legal Systems byCall Number: K583 .I58 1994ISBN: 0379213508Publication Date: 1994-07-01Law Library
Legal Traditions of the World by Call Number: K559 .G545 2010ISBN: 9780199580804Publication Date: 2010-07-29Law Library
Foreign Law Research Guides
Links to Internet sources useful for background information on legal systems of various countries:
- LLRX.comInternational Law Guides
- JuriGlobe - World Legal Systems Research GroupJuriGlobe is a research group from the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa, which focuses on the development of a multilingual information data bank, accessible to all on the internet, containing general information relating to the different legal systems in the world, to the different official languages and to some of the most important international commercial conventions, as well as other multilateral commercial tools.
- Eagle-iInstitute of Advanced Legal Studies
- Foreign Databases/Collections by JurisdictionForeign & International Research NYU Law
- Locating Key Foreign & International Law SourcesUniversity of Houston
- Government Gazettes OnlineDocuments Center at the University of Michigan
- A Selective List of Guides to Foreign Legal ResearchArthur W. Diamond Law Library Research Guides Columbia University Law School
- GlobaLexAn electronic legal publication dedicated to international and foreign law research. Published by the Hauser Global Law School Program at NYU School of Law.
- Comparative Constitutions ProjectCurrently Constitute includes the constitution that was in force in September of 2013 for nearly every independent state in the world. Certain countries whose constitutional order consists of multiple documents, or whose constitutions are in transition, are temporarily omitted.
Bilingual/Multilingual Law Dictionaries
Chinese-English/English-Chinese Pocket Legal Dictionary by Call Number: K52 .C5 C425 2008ISBN: 9780781812153Publication Date: 2008-04-01Law Library- Contemporary Russian-English Law Dictionary byCall Number: K52 .R8 B673 2006ISBN: 5887212969Publication Date: 2005-12-01Law Library
Dahl's Law Dictionary by Call Number: K52 .S5 D33 2006ISBN: 0837731313Publication Date: 2005-05-01Law Library- Multilingual Law Dictionary byCall Number: K54 .E3 1978ISBN: 9028602674Publication Date: 1979-02-01Law Library
- The Council of Europe French-English Legal Dictionary, FHS Bridge byCall Number: K52 .F7 B74 1994ISBN: 9287124965Publication Date: 1994-01-01Law Library
