British Law Reports in PDF format on Westlaw

Westlaw has long provided access to most British caselaw, but it has not offered those cases in the PDF format needed by citecheckers. Recently, though, Westlaw has begun to include PDF versions of the two most-cited British case reporters, Law Reports and English Reports.

The Law Reports is a series of the most significant U.K. cases from 1866 until the present. It consists of four parts: Queen’s Bench, Family Division, Chancery Division and Appeal Cases. The Appeals Cases, in turn, includes cases from the House of Lords, the Privy Council, the Court of Appeal and, since 2009, the Supreme Court.

English Reports , meanwhile, is the Bluebook’s preferred reporter for older English cases. Reprinting opinions from older nominate reporters, these volumes cover the period from 1220 until 1866. Currently, English Reports is now available in PDF on both HeinOnline and Westlaw.