Finiding English Statutes 

Here are examples of citations to English statutes. If the citation is given in Regnal years, it is helpful to translate the Regnal year into an actual year to figure out which set of volumes you need to consult for the text of the statute.

If you only know the subject of the statute, we have a few subject indices which will give you the citation needed to find the text. See the section on Indices to Statutes.

| Interpreting the Citation | Table of Regnal Years | What we own in print |

| Indices to Statutes | Electronic Access to Statutes | 

| Background Sources for English Law |

Interpreting the Citation:
 
National Services Act, 11 & 12 Geo.6, c.64 
British Museum Act 1963, c.24
 
National Services Act = Short Title 
11 & 12 Geo.6 = Regnal Years - see table
Note: this means the 11th and 12th year in the reign of George the 6th
c.64 = Chapter
 
Note: Prior to 1963 - citation included Regnal year = year of sovereign's reign when the act was passed. c = chapter number.

Table of Regnal Years

What we own:
(Text of Statutes)
 
Print
 
 - several overlapping sets - in print Ancient Acts (597?) to Magna Charta/1215-1979

• Ancient Laws and Institutes of England
  K307 A2 (GPML stacks - vol. 2 shrink wrapped) Comprising acts under the Anglo-Saxon Kings from Aethelbirht to Cnut -- Henry I 2 vol. Years of Coverage: 597(?) - 1100
• Laws of the Earliest English Kings: 597(?) - 939(?)
  Aethelberht - Aethelstan
  K307 A2 A8 1922 (GPML Stacks)
  K307 A2 A8 192 (Libraries Service Center)
  Years of Coverage: 597(?) -939(?)
• Statutes of the Realm. 4 vols. 
  DA25.B1S7 1810F (Quarto)
  important set - (Libraries Service Center)
  Years of coverage: 1101-1713
• Statutes At Large of England and Great Britain: From Magna Charta to Union of the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland
  Magna Charta (1215)-1800
  K307 .L6 (GPML Stacks)
  Years of coverage: 1215-1800
• Collection of Statutes
  Magna Charta (1215)-1836
  K312 A3 E8 (GPML Stacks)
  10 vol. set. - arranged by subject
• Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1807-1869
  K307.L71 - Libraries Service Center
  spine reads: Statutes At Large
• Public General Acts ... and the Church Assembly Measures - 1866-1933
  K307.L72 - Libraries Service Center titles vary over the years
  Public general statutes 1870-1887
  spine reads Statutes (Regnal year)
• Law Reports: Statutes - 1866-1979
  K307.L8 - Libraries Service Center
  titles vary over the years
  looks as if 1952 may be missing

To find Special Compilations of English Statutes:
 
Catalog - search
corpauth=Great Britain. Laws, statutes, etc.

Indices to Statutes

• Chronological Table of Statutes 1235- Through 1235-1975
  K307 L68 (GPML stacks) shows effects of later legislation
• Index to the Statutes in Force 1235 - Through 1235-1974
  K307 L69 (GPML Stacks) subject index with cross references
• Halsbury's Law of England
  Encyclopedia - subject arranged.
  Interpreting every branch of law -including statutes, case and administrative(?)

These sources will give you or verify the citations you need to find the actual text.
 
Electronic Access to Statutes

• Westlaw.com (Contact the Government Publicatons Librarians for access information)
         United Kingdom - Law in Force
         all acts in Force or in effect as amended - 1235 to present
         Westlaw - UK-LIF
         contains the consolidated Law in Force as
         published by Sweet & Maxwell.
         Coverage begins 1267 and is consolidated
         through 12/31/1999
• United Kingdom Parliament's World Wide Web Service 
         Public Acts since 1996

Background Sources for English Law

• Fundamentals of Legal Research - Jacobstein Doc. Ref. KF240 J32 1998 p. 523 + (International Law)
• Guide to British Government Publications
         Doc. Ref. J300 A.9 R62 1980
• Information Sources in Law
         Ref. KJC 76 I54 1997