This document provides information and instructions for using Westlaw, a legal database. It discusses that Westlaw contains UK case law from 1220, European Union case law from 1954, and UK case transcripts. It provides directions for accessing Westlaw through the university library website and searching for specific cases. It explains what legal citations represent and how to understand the details of a cited case such as the parties, court, area of law, and where the full text can be found. It also describes how to find case analysis documents and status icons that indicate whether a case remains good law.

1. Case Law
Using Westlaw
Catherine Funnell
Middlesex University

2. Databases-Quick Facts
Heinonline
• English Reports(pre 1865 cases) only
• Available on the Internet
Westlaw and Lexis Library
• Access to legislation case law, journal articles
• Also current awareness(status updates legislation
and cases)
• EU legislation,cases,journal articles

3. Westlaw
• UK cases from 1220,including The Law Reports
• European Union case from 1954(Judgments
from the Court of Justice from 1954,the
General Court from1989
• UK case law Official Transcripts
• Case Analysis(Descriptive Analysis document
for UK,Scottish and EU case law)

4. Accessing Westlaw
• Log in to My UniHub
• Select the My study tab
• Scroll down the page to find My Library
• Click on Library Subject Guides
• Select the Law and Legal Research Guide
• Select the Resources tab
• Scroll down to the Gateways to Legal Resources sub tab

5. Reading a Legal Citation
[1960] 3 WLR 919
Date-Year case was reported
Law Report Series where it was reported
Volume of Law Report Series
Page in Law Report Volume
This is a legal citation for a
case
You need to know what
each part of the citation
represents
Click on the Cases tab

6. Finding the Case
Fisher v Bell is the case
Let’s take a CLOSER look
CITATION

7. Understanding the Detail
Party names,court case reported in
and date case heard
What area of law?(criminal)
Case Descriptors(offensive
weapons,sale of goods
Where reported?-what law report
series report this case-where can I
find the details,full text?
Documents- full text reported in these
law report series found in Westlaw
Click on CASE ANALYSIS next

8. Case Analysis
•Useful as a case alerter if you
are tracking a case(another case
has been heard between the
same parties on a different point
of law
•The case has been cited by
another case
•The case has been referenced in
a journal article
•Case Digest-SUMMARY of the
case
•Case Digest-where you can find
the JUDGMENT/DECISION
Click on the CITATION for the Full Text

9. Status Icons
Positive or Neutral
indicates that this is GOOD
LAW
Status Icons are important as
you need to be aware of the
status of a specific case
If you click on the HELP Button
and then select About Case law
from the Index you can see
what the various icons look like
and what they mean

10. PDF
To view/and/or save
the PDF click on the
PDF Icon