OSCOLA

OSCOLA stands for the Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities. It is a widely used legal citation style in the United Kingdom, developed by the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Law and first published in 2006, with later editions updating its rules to reflect practice.

OSCOLA provides rules for citing different types of authorities, including cases, legislation and delegated legislation, and international materials such as treaties and UN documents, as well as secondary sources like books, journal articles, and government reports. It also covers European Union materials and non-English sources. The system emphasizes footnotes for precise pinpoint citations and a separate bibliography listing all sources.

The style is the predominant citation system in UK law schools and many law journals and publishers. It is commonly used in student essays, seminars, and academic legal writing. It is not an official government or court citation standard, though some courts and practitioners reference OSCOLA in submissions and academic work.

In OSCOLA, the first citation of a source appears in a footnote with full details; subsequent footnotes may use a shortened form. A bibliography at the end lists sources in a standard order, grouped by type. Case citations use party names, neutral citations when available, and pinpoint references; legislation citations include the statute title, year, and relevant provision; international materials follow standard treaty or document identifiers.

The official OSCOLA guidance is maintained by the Oxford Law Faculty and is available online, along with example citations and templates to aid authors in applying the rules.