First Principles of Business Law

9.5. Authorised reports

New South Wales Law Reports.

A case might be reported in more than one reports series. However, some law report series are more authoritative than others, because the reports they contain have been selected and thoroughly checked by members of the legal profession, including the judges. These reports are described as 'authorised'. All Australian jurisdictions have an authorised law reports series. For example, the authorised series for the High Court of Australia is the Commonwealth Law Reports (CLR).

Preference should be given to the reports contained in authorised series rather than to reports in alternative unauthorised series. For example, when referring to Lynch's case, it is better to cite the report in the 'authorised' NSWLR series. Unauthorised reports may be used if there is no authorised report of that case.  Click here to see a table of Australian authorised reports.

Judicial decisions in other countries may also be reported in both authorised and unauthorised reports series. In England, for example, cases from the House of Lords, the highest court of appeal in that country, and those of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council are reported in a segment of authorised law reports called Appeal Cases (AC). But they are also reported in unofficial series, such as the All England Law Reports (All ER) or Weekly Law Reports (WLR).