AGLC4 Referencing: A Complete Guide for Australian Law Students

The Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 4th edition (AGLC4) is the standard referencing style for Australian law, using footnotes for citations and a bibliography at the end — not author–date in-text citations. If you study law at an Australian university, your essays, case notes, and research papers will almost certainly require AGLC4. This guide explains how to cite the three things law students cite most — cases, legislation, and secondary sources — plus the footnote, pinpoint, signal, and bibliography rules that examiners check closely.

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What is AGLC4 referencing?

AGLC4 referencing is the footnote-based citation system set out in the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition), published by the Melbourne University Law Review Association. Unlike APA or Harvard, AGLC4 does not use in-text author–date citations; instead, every citation is a numbered footnote at the bottom of the page, and sources are collected in a bibliography at the end, split into Cases, Legislation, Treaties, and Secondary materials. It is the required style at virtually every Australian law school.

The footnote system suits legal writing because law relies on precise authority. When you state a legal principle, the reader needs to see exactly which case, which section of which Act, or which scholarly source supports it — and a footnote lets you give that authority in full, with a pinpoint to the precise page or paragraph, without interrupting the flow of your argument. Mastering AGLC4 early pays off across an entire law degree, because the same rules govern essays, case notes, problem questions, and your final research paper.

How to cite cases in AGLC4

To cite a case in AGLC4, give the case name (italicised), year, volume, law report series abbreviation, and starting page, with a pinpoint page if referring to a specific passage. The format depends on whether the case has a “reported” citation or only a “medium neutral” one.

The “[42]” or “, 42” at the end is the pinpoint — the exact page or paragraph you are referring to. Square brackets indicate a paragraph number (used in medium-neutral citations); a plain number indicates a page. A useful rule of thumb: round brackets around the year mean the year is just locating the volume (the volume number does the work), while square brackets around the year mean the year itself is essential to finding the report. Always prefer the authorised report series where one exists — for the High Court that is the CLR (Commonwealth Law Reports).

How to cite legislation in AGLC4

To cite Australian legislation in AGLC4, give the short title (italicised), the year, and the jurisdiction in parentheses, followed by a pinpoint to the section. The jurisdiction abbreviation tells the reader which parliament passed the Act.

Common jurisdiction abbreviations: Cth (Commonwealth), NSW, Vic, Qld, SA, WA, Tas, ACT, NT. “s” means section, “ss” means sections, “reg” means regulation, “cl” means clause (used for Bills, which have clauses rather than sections until they become Acts). Note that a Bill’s title is not italicised, because it is not yet enacted law — a small detail examiners watch for.

How to cite secondary sources in AGLC4

Secondary sources in AGLC4 — books, journal articles, and reports — follow author-title-publication patterns with a pinpoint. Authors are given first name then surname (not inverted) in footnotes.

Notice the two page numbers in the journal-article and chapter examples: the first (300, or 50) is the starting page of the whole piece, and the second after the comma (312, or 55) is the pinpoint to the page you are actually relying on. Capitalise the major words in titles of secondary sources (this is “title case”), unlike APA and Harvard which mostly use sentence case.

Footnotes, “ibid” and “above n” rules

AGLC4 uses footnotes for every citation, numbered sequentially with a superscript in the text. The superscript number goes after the relevant punctuation (usually after the full stop). For repeat citations:

• Ibid — use when the citation is identical to the one immediately above. Add a pinpoint if the page differs: “Ibid 45.”
• Above n — use to refer back to a source cited in an earlier (non-consecutive) footnote: “Smith (n 4) 50.”
• End every footnote with a full stop.

The logic is simple once you see it: “ibid” means “the same source as the footnote directly before this one”, so it only works for back-to-back references. The moment another source intervenes, you must switch to “above n”, which points the reader back to the original footnote number. Misusing “ibid” for a non-consecutive reference is one of the most common AGLC4 errors, and because footnotes renumber as you edit, always check your cross-references again just before you submit.

Pinpoints: the detail examiners check first

A pinpoint is the reference to the exact page or paragraph that supports your point, and AGLC4 expects one almost every time you cite an authority. For a reported case, the pinpoint is a page number after the starting page: Mabo v Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 CLR 1, 42. For a medium-neutral citation, the pinpoint is a paragraph number in square brackets: Smith v Jones [2020] HCA 15, [22]. For legislation it is the section: Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) s 6. For a book or article it is the page after the comma.

Why does this matter so much? A footnote without a pinpoint tells the reader “this 400-page case supports me somewhere” — which is no help at all. A precise pinpoint shows you have read and understood the exact passage you rely on. Examiners often scan footnotes before reading the body, and missing pinpoints are the fastest way to signal a rushed citation job.

Introductory signals: “see”, “cf” and “see also”

AGLC4 lets you preface a citation with an introductory signal to show how the source relates to your point. Use no signal when the source directly states the proposition. Use “See” when the source supports the proposition but does not state it word-for-word. Use “See also” to point to additional supporting authority. Use “Cf” (from the Latin confer, “compare”) when the source offers a contrasting or analogous view. Signals are italicised and let your footnotes carry argument as well as authority — a hallmark of polished legal writing.

Quoting in legal writing

AGLC4 handles quotations much like other styles, but precision matters even more in law because the exact words of a statute or judgment carry legal weight. A short quotation (fewer than three lines) is run into your sentence inside single quotation marks, with the footnote and pinpoint giving the source. A long quotation (three lines or more) is set as a block: indented, in a smaller font, with no quotation marks, and the footnote placed after the sentence introducing or following it. When you quote a judge, attribute the statement to them by name in your text (“As Brennan J observed…”) and pinpoint the exact page or paragraph in the footnote. Quote sparingly — a well-chosen sentence from a leading judgment is powerful, but stacking quotations suggests you have not synthesised the authority into your own argument.

Short titles and cross-referencing

Long case names and Act titles quickly become unwieldy if you cite them repeatedly. AGLC4 lets you introduce a short title the first time you cite a source, then use it thereafter. For a case, you add the short form in parentheses at the end of the first footnote — for example, after the full citation of Mabo v Queensland [No 2] you write (“Mabo”) — and in later footnotes you can refer to Mabo with a pinpoint. The same applies to legislation with a long title. Combined with “ibid” (for the footnote directly above) and “above n” (for an earlier non-consecutive footnote), short titles keep your footnotes readable across a long essay. Because footnotes renumber automatically as you edit, always re-check every “above n” cross-reference in your final draft — an “above n 12” that now points to the wrong footnote is a frequent, avoidable error.

The AGLC4 bibliography

The AGLC4 bibliography appears at the end, divided into separate alphabetical sections: A Articles/Books/Reports, B Cases, C Legislation, and D Other. In the bibliography (unlike footnotes), author names are inverted (surname first) and no pinpoint is given. Within the Articles/Books/Reports section, sort alphabetically by author surname; within Cases and Legislation, sort alphabetically by case or Act name. The bibliography lists the full source, so a journal article gives its full page range rather than the single pinpoint page used in the footnote.

A worked example: footnote and bibliography

Suppose your essay relies on the High Court’s reasoning in Mabo and on a journal article by Jane Smith. In the body, after the sentence stating the principle, you place a superscript number, and the matching footnote reads: Mabo v Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 CLR 1, 42. The next time you rely on Smith’s article you footnote: Jane Smith, ‘Native Title After Mabo’ (2020) 44(2) Melbourne University Law Review 300, 312. If your very next footnote relies on Smith again at a different page, you write: Ibid 315.

At the end, those two sources appear in different bibliography sections. Under B Cases: Mabo v Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 CLR 1. Under A Articles/Books/Reports: Smith, Jane, ‘Native Title After Mabo’ (2020) 44(2) Melbourne University Law Review 300. Notice the author’s name is now inverted and the pinpoint is gone — the bibliography catalogues the whole source, while the footnote points to the exact passage.

Common AGLC4 mistakes to avoid

• Using in-text (author–date) citations — AGLC4 is footnote-based; author–date is wrong.
• Forgetting the pinpoint — footnotes should point to the exact page or paragraph.
• Wrong jurisdiction abbreviation on legislation (Cth vs a state).
• Inverting author names in footnotes — footnotes use first name first; only the bibliography inverts.
• Misusing “ibid” for non-consecutive references — use “above n” instead.
• Italicising a Bill’s title — Bills are not yet law, so their titles stay in plain text.
• One merged bibliography — AGLC4 requires separate Cases / Legislation / Secondary sections.

Frequently asked questions

What is AGLC4 referencing?

AGLC4 referencing is the citation style defined by the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition), the standard for Australian law. It uses numbered footnotes for citations rather than in-text author–date references, and a bibliography divided into cases, legislation, and secondary materials. Almost every Australian law school requires AGLC4 for legal essays and research.

Does AGLC4 use footnotes or in-text citations?

AGLC4 uses footnotes, not in-text citations. Each time you cite a source, you insert a superscript number that links to a numbered footnote at the bottom of the page containing the full citation and a pinpoint. This is a key difference from APA and Harvard, which place author–date citations in the body text.

How do you cite a case in AGLC4?

To cite a case in AGLC4, give the italicised case name, the year, the volume, the law-report abbreviation, the starting page, and a pinpoint page or paragraph — for example, Mabo v Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 CLR 1, 42. For unreported cases, use the medium-neutral citation with the court identifier and paragraph number in square brackets.

What does “ibid” mean in AGLC4?

“Ibid” in AGLC4 means the citation is identical to the one in the footnote immediately before it. If the source is the same but the page differs, write “Ibid” followed by the new pinpoint (e.g. “Ibid 50”). For sources cited earlier but not immediately above, use “above n” with the original footnote number instead.

How do you reference legislation in AGLC4?

To reference legislation in AGLC4, give the italicised short title, the year, the jurisdiction in round brackets, and a pinpoint to the section — for example, Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) s 6. Use the correct jurisdiction abbreviation (Cth, NSW, Vic, Qld, SA, WA, Tas, ACT, NT) and “s” for a single section or “ss” for multiple.

What is a pinpoint reference in AGLC4?

A pinpoint reference in AGLC4 is the citation of the exact page or paragraph that supports your point, given at the end of a footnote. For a reported case it is a page number after the starting page (175 CLR 1, 42); for a medium-neutral citation it is a paragraph number in square brackets ([22]); for legislation it is the section (s 6). AGLC4 expects a pinpoint almost every time you cite an authority.

How is the AGLC4 bibliography organised?

The AGLC4 bibliography is organised into four separate alphabetical sections: A Articles/Books/Reports, B Cases, C Legislation, and D Other. Author names are inverted (surname first) and no pinpoints are given. This separation is mandatory — merging all sources into one alphabetical list is a common error that loses marks.

Is AGLC4 only used in Australia?

AGLC4 is used primarily in Australia, where it is the dominant legal-citation standard taught at law schools and used by courts and law journals. Students in other countries use different legal-citation guides (for example, OSCOLA in the UK or the Bluebook in the US), so AGLC4 is specifically the Australian convention.

What is the difference between AGLC4 and AGLC3?

The difference between AGLC4 and AGLC3 is a set of refinements rather than a wholesale change: AGLC4, released in 2018, updated rules for citing online materials, social media, and audiovisual sources, simplified some punctuation, and clarified the treatment of internet sources and pinpoints. The core footnote-and-bibliography system is unchanged, so if you learned AGLC3 the transition is small — but always cite the edition your faculty currently requires.

Do you italicise statute and case names in AGLC4?

In AGLC4 you italicise the names of cases and the short titles of Acts and regulations, but you do not italicise the title of a Bill, because a Bill is not yet enacted law. Jurisdiction abbreviations such as (Cth) or (NSW) are not italicised either. Getting these italics right is a small detail that signals careful, accurate legal citation to your examiner.