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Law

Welcome to the Law Subject Guide - giving you information on library resources and services.

Introduction

This page outlines online access to some of the key law reports, journals and useful useful resources. This is only a selection of the reports and journals the University of Edinburgh subscribes to, so if the item you are interested in is not listed please check DiscoverEd and the legal databases for access. 


Accessing key textbooks online:

The University subscribes to several legal book packages that give us access to key texts. Not all of these are searchable through DiscoverEd. Always start in DiscoverEd but if you are unsuccessful then check these databases:

  • Westlaw UK: Available through the books tab on the main WestLaw UK platform. Content includes 
    • The Laws of Scotland (14th Ed), Gloag and Henderson (2017)
    • Conveyancing (5th Ed), Gretton & Reid (2018)
    • SULI publications
  • Lexis+: 
    • Stair Memorial Encyclopaedia 
    • Bennion, Bailey and Norbury on Statutory Interpretation 
    • Butterworths Scottish Family Law Service
  • HeinOnline: We subscribe to the  Scottish Legal History: Featuring Publications of the Stair Society. This collection includes the Stair Society Main (Annual) Series (1936-present), the Stair Society Supplementary Series (vols 1-3), books, abridgments and articles.

Hierarchy of Law Reports

Image from powerpoint presentation depicting the hierarchy of Law reports in Scots Law. The image in the right shows a row of Session Cases books on the top row, a row of Scots Law Times in the second row, then a row of Scottish Civil Law Reports and Scottish Criminal Case Reports below that. For an accessible version of the text in the image please download the PDF version of the slide linked below.

Law Reports and Journals

Not all of our Law Reports are available online, so we have outlined the main titles available. For other reports please check the databases.  

Title Database and coverage
All England Law Reports  Lexis+ 1936- present. Courts; Supreme Court, Privy Council, both divisions of the Court of Appeal and all divisions of the High Court
Butterworths Company Law Cases  Lexis+ 1983- present
Butterworths Human Rights Cases  Lexis+ 1996- present
European Law Reports

HeinOnline- 1997- 2012, 

Westlaw- abstract only

Family Law Reports (Scotland) ((Fam L.R.) Greens)  Westlaw 1997- present
Family Law Reports ((FLR) LexisNexis) 

Lexis+ 1980- present. Contains reports from the Family Division, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European courts case.

Westlaw abstract only
Fleet Street Reports  Westlaw 1964- present
Green’s Weekly Digest (Scotland)   Westlaw 1987- present - abstract only
Housing Law Reports (Scottish) (Hous L.R.)  Westlaw 1996- 2019
Housing Law Reports (H.L.R.)  Westlaw 2002- present
Lloyd’s Law Reports  i-Law 1919- present
Property Law Bulletin (S&M)   Westlaw 1986- present
Property Law Bulletin (Greens)   Westlaw 1993- present
Scots Law Times 

HeinOnline- 1839- 1949 full text,

Westlaw 1997- present. 

Scottish Civil Law Reports 

Lexis+ 1987- present.

Westlaw 1987- present
Scottish Criminal Case Reports 

Lexis+ 1953- present.

Westlaw 1981- present
Simon's Tax Cases 

Lexis+ 1973- present.

Westlaw- abstract only
Times Law Reports (and Commercial cases)

Lexis+- using the News tab, and search by publication and case details.

HeinOnline- 1884- 1949

Westlaw- abstract only
Weekly Law Reports Westlaw 1953- present
Scottish Law Review, Scottish Court Reports

Westlaw 1885- 1963

HeinOnline- 1885- 1963

Scottish Law Reporter Westlaw 1865- 1924

Legislation and cases

Title  
UK and EU Legislation Lexis+ and Westlaw 

ICLR 

(Incorporated Council of Law Reporting)  

Available on Lexis+ and Westlaw. dates and coverage differ between databases and cover: Admiralty & Ecclesiastical, Appeal Cases, Chancery Appeals, Chancery Division, Common  Pleas Cases, Common Please Division, Crown Cases Reserved, Equity Cases, Exchequer, Exchequer Division, House of Lords, Kings/ Queen’s Bench Division, Privy Council, Probate / Family,  Scotch and Divorce Appeal, Family Division, Probate and Divorce, Probate Division
International Court of Justice International Court of Justice
Session Cases 

Lexis+ 1821- present

Westlaw 1907- present

HeinOnline 1826- 1841
Justiciary  Cases 

HeinOnline- Selected cases 1953- 1974

Westlaw- Justiciary Cases (Scotland), Fraser’s Session Cases  (Justiciary Cases, Scotland) 5th Series

Scotch and Divorce Appeals Westlaw 1870-75
Scotch and Divorce Appeal Cases before the House of Lords.

HeinOnline- 1866- 1875

Criminal Appeal Case Summaries and Judgments (UK) Lexis+ 1987- 2001 
Scottish Case Digest (Cases)

Lexis+ 2000- present

 

Tools

Tool Database
Bill Tracker Lexis+
Halsbury's - Is It In Force? Lexis+
Halsbury’s Annotations  Lexis+
Halsbury’s EU Legislation Implementor Lexis+
Halsbury’s Laws Annual Abridgement Lexis+
Halsbury’s SI Citator Lexis+
Halsbury’s Statutes Citator Lexis+