1. How do I locate case law?

2. Reading the case name
Civil Cases
Indo Commercial Society (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)

3. Reading the case citation
Year Vol Report Pg
[1992] 2 SLR(R) 667
The citation tells us that the case is reported
in vol 2 of the Singapore Law Reports
(Reissue) for 1992, starting on page 667.

4. English case citation
Year Vol Report Pg
[1893] 1 QB 491
The citation tells us that the case is reported
in vol 1 of the Queens Bench Law Report for
1893, starting on page 491.

5. Reading citations
Neutral citation
Year of decision Court Sequential
Number
[2007] SGHC 24
This is a system of citation where each written judgment from a particular level
of court is assigned a sequential number, starting from 1 at the beginning of
each calendar year.
Singapore Neutral Citations:
SGCA – Court of appeal
SGDC – District Court
SGFC – Family Court
SGHC – High Court
SGJC – Juvenile Court
SGMC – Magistrates Court
SGSC – Supreme Court
SGSCT – Small Claims Tribunal

6. Checking abbreviations
What do the abbreviations mean?
How do you know whether it is a Singapore case or an
English case?
Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
http://www.legalabbrevs.cardiff.ac.uk/

7. Le Lievre v Gould
[1893] 1 QB 491

11. Which database do you use?

13. Locating a Singapore case
Planmarine AG v Maritime and Part Authority of Singapore
[1999] 1 SLR(R) 669
Which database do I use?
Use LawNet

19. Locating an English case
Le Lievre v Gould [1893] 1 QB 491.
Which database do I use?
Use LawNet / Lexis / Westlaw

20. Another example
Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562

29. Alcock v Chief Constable of the
South Yorkshire Police
[1991] 4 ALL ER 907