This document provides information on finding legislation by subject using various electronic and print resources. It outlines how to search Westlaw, LexisNexis, BAILII and Legislation.gov.uk by subject, keyword, or legislation title. It also lists the printed resources Halsbury’s Laws of England, Halsbury’s Statutes, and Current Law Statutes Annotated, which arrange statutes by subject. Contact information is provided for the Subject Librarian for Law & Criminology at the University of Derby for assistance.

1. FINDING LEGISLATION
BY SUBJECT
November
2012

2. ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Westlaw
LexisNexis
BAILII
Legislation.gov.uk

3. WESTLAW
Click on Legislation tab.
Search by Subject/Keyword.
Used Advanced Search, to search for
Historic or Prospective Law – default search
is law currently in force.

4. LEXIS NEXIS
 Click on Legislation tab.
 If you roughly know title, type part of it, i.e. ‘dangerous
dogs’, and Lexis will suggest possibilities.
 To search by topic, click Add topics to search. Choose
area of law, i.e.. Military & War, click little cross box to
open up levels. Drill down to be specific, i.e. War &
Armed Conflicts -> War Crimes. Click OK – Add to
search.
 Search by Search Term. Search may return several
results from same piece of legislation. See right-hand
‘narrow by legislation title’ column for list of
legislation.

5. BAILII
Open access database of public available
British/Irish legislation, case law, law reform
reports, treaties and some legal scholarship.
In BAILII, click on Legislation Search, search
by title of legislation, keyword or phrase,
narrow down by jurisdiction

6. LEGISLATION.GOV
Official full-text of UK Acts as revised
Sometimes delay in updating, not always
immediately current
Use Advanced Search, search by Keyword

7. PRINT RESOURCES
The following printed resources all
have a subject arrangement:
Halsbury’s Laws of England
Halsbury’s Statutes
Current Law Statutes Annotated

8. CONTACTS & REFERENCES
Caroline Ball, Subject Librarian for Law & Criminology
Ext. 1760 / c.ball@derby.ac.uk
Subject Resources for Law:
https://ulib.derby.ac.uk/library/hero/melange2subject_interm
ediary.php?subject=Law