Introduction to Case Law

Case Name Case Citation

Horton v Sadler [2007] 1 AC 307

Reading the Case Name• Civil Cases

Indo Commercial (Pte) Ltd v Ebrahim & Anor (S’pore)

Fisher v Bell (UK)• Criminal Cases

Public Prosecutor v Too Yong Wei (S’pore) R v Smith (UK)

Year Vol PgReport

[1992] 2 SLR(R)

667

This citation tells us that the case is reported in volume 2 of the Singapore Law Reports (Reissue) for 1992, starting on page 667.

Year Vol PgReport

[1893] 1 QB 491

This citation tells us that the case is reported in volume 1 of the Queens Bench Law Report for 1893, starting on page 491.

Reading CitationsNeutral CitationYear of decision Court

[2007] SGHC

Singapore Neutral Citations:

• SGCA – Court of Appeal• SGDC – District Court• SGFC – Family Court• SGHC – High Court• SGJC – Juvenile Court• SGMC – Magistrates Court• Supreme Court• SGSCT – Small Class

Tribunal

This a system of citation where each written judgement from a particular level of court is assigned a sequential number, starting from 1 at the beginning of each calendar year

Sequential Number

24

Reading Citations• Neutral Citation

Year of decision Court

[2007] SGHC

This a system of citation where each written judgement from a particular level of court is assigned a sequential number, starting from 1 at the beginning of each calendar year

Case Number

24

England & Wales Neutral Citations:

• UKHL – House of Lords• UKPC – Privy Council• EWCA Civ – Cour of Appeal Civil Division• EWCA Crim – Court of Appeal Criminal

Division• EWHC Admi – High Court (Administrative)• EWHC Admlty – High Courts (Admiralty)• EWHC Ch – High court (Chancery)• EWHC Comm – High Court (Commercial)• EWHC Fam – High Court (Family)• EWHC Pat – High Court (Patents)• EWHC QB – High Court (Queen’s Bench)• EWHC TCC – High Court (Tech &

Construction)

Checking Abbreviations• What do abbreviations mean?• How do you know whether it is a

Singapore case or an English case?

Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviationshttp://www.legalabbrevs.Cardiff.ac.uk/

Finding out the Abbreviation• [2002] 2 WLR 1315

Appropriate Use of Electronic Resources Policy