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NZ Law Style Guide

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General Principles

The aim of a style guide is to ensure maximum consistency among authors, clarity of writing and the ability to locate information easily. The guide includes rules for the citation of a large range of material commonly used in New Zealand, but inevitably there will be occasions where it is necessary to cite materials for which there are no specific rules. Any citation for which there is no relevant rule should be made as consistently as possible with this guide.

In relation to overseas materials not covered in this guide, it is necessary to make the relevant changes to ensure those citations are consistent with the format employed in this guide. We would urge users to consult the following comprehensive guides:

  • For further guidance on the citation of Australian legal sources not covered by this guide, see the latest edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation published by the Melbourne University Law Review Association and available at
    <www.law.unimelb.edu.au>.

  • For further guidance on the citation of United Kingdom legal sources not covered by this guide, see The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities available at <www.law.ox.ac.uk/publications/oscola.php>.

  • For further guidance on the citation of Canadian legal sources not covered by this guide, see the latest edition of the McGill Law Journal’s Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, published by Carswell.

  • For further guidance on the citation of United States of America legal sources not covered by this guide, see the latest edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, published by the Harvard Law Review Association.

  • For further guidance on the citation of international legal sources not covered by this guide, see Fordham International Law Journal’s A Citation Manual for European Union Materials available at <www.fordhamilj.org/eu-guide/> or New York University School of Law, Journal of International Law and Politics’ Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citations. The Australian Guide to Legal Citation also contains helpful material on the citation of international materials.

We have made use of those guides in preparing this guide, and would like to acknowledge our debt to them. Where, however, a rule in this guide conflicts with a rule in one of them, follow the rule in this guide. We also, when preparing the first edition of this guide, made use of the then existing style guides from the various New Zealand law schools. We acknowledge those who worked on them.

Further guidance is available on the New Zealand Law Style Guide website at
<www.lawfoundation.org.nz/style-guide/index.html>.

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