LibGuides: Law: Legal Research

Research Tips

Legal materials are categorised into Primary and Secondary sources:
- Primary Sources (Case law / Legislation) are written RECORDS OF the law.
- Secondary Sources are resources ABOUT the law. This includes discussions or legal commentary about sentencing decisions and remarks by Judges, such as:
  - Books, digests, journal articles, loose-leaf publications and online services;
  - Reference tools, which help find and explain the law (dictionaries, encyclopaedias, guides and directories).
  - Extrinsic Materials will also be referred to in the context of legislation, and are used to assist in interpreting the meaning and intent of legislation. Examples include: Parliamentary debates (Hansard) - explanatory memoranda (EMs), reports of law reform commissions, parliamentary committee reports and second reading speeches.
Visit ECU's Law Library (Joondalup Campus - Building 31, level 4) to access printed law reports and legal encyclopaedia.

Australian Legal Research Guide

Legal Research Skills: An Australian Law Guide
he University of Queensland Library; James Cook University Library; University of Southern Queensland Library; Charles Darwin University Library; Southern Cross University Library; Queensland University of Technology Library; Deakin University Library; University of South Australia Library; Edith Cowan University Library; University of Tasmania Library; and The Australian National University Library, Legal Research Skills: An Australian Law Guide (CAUL OER Collective, 2025).
This guide is designed to support students undertaking legal studies and contribute to the development of research skills in Australian law schools.

Databases - Australian Legal Research

Lexis+ (previously Lexis Advance) This link opens in a new window
Online legal research platform covering Australian and international case law, legislation, commentary, journals, news and precedents. Results are comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date. Includes the CaseBase legal citator and Halsbury's Laws of Australia encyclopaedia.
Westlaw This link opens in a new window
Online legal research platform covering Australian and international case law, legislation, commentary, journals, news and precedents. Results are comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date. Includes the Laws of Australia encyclopaedia, the KeyCite (previously FirstPoint) legal citator, and a KeyNumber legal topic classification system. See Westlaw - International Materials for international legal sources.
Westlaw - International Materials This link opens in a new window
Online legal research platform covering Australian and international case law, legislation, commentary, journals, news and precedents. Search using International Materials from the homepage.
CCH iKnowConnect (previously CCH IntelliConnect) This link opens in a new window
Coverage includes: Accounting, Business Law, Employment and HR, Family Law, Industrial Relations, Intellectual Property, Sports & Medical Law, Workplace Health and Safety and more...
AGIS Plus Text This link opens in a new window
Includes peer-reviewed legal journals from across Australasia and the Asia-Pacific region.
HeinOnline This link opens in a new window
Contains the HeinOnline Academic Core Collection including Criminal Justice Journals, English Reports, Harvard Research in International Law, Law Journal Library, Legal Classics, U.S. Supreme Court Library, World Constitutions Illustrated; Foreign & International Law Resources Database and the Philip c. Jessup Library.

Finding Legislation - useful databases and websites to locate legislative materials

Open Law - Legal Research Gateways

Jade This link opens in a new window
Open Law - latest decisions of selected Australian and International Courts and Tribunals, and annotated Australian legislation. Some Magistrates' Court decisions from 2006. Register for free student access to JADE Professional.
AustLII (Australasian Legal Information Institute) This link opens in a new window
A collection of cases, legislation and over 125 law journals that covers Australian and New Zealand Legislation, Court Judgments ("Case Law") , and Commentaries and Summaries on the Law. (User Guide)