Legal Research
The Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC) at the State Library of NSW is a specialised legal research service for the general public. The centre is staffed by specialist law librarians who can assist you to find information relevant to your issue.
The State Library has an extensive law collection which is the equivalent of a university law library with plain English books and pamphlets, as well as detailed legal text books, legislation and case reports. The Library also subscribes to a wide range of looseleaf services and online databases which are also used by lawyers across Australia.
Collections
The State Library holds a comprehensive collection of cases and legislation from around Australia, textbooks and journals from major publishers, looseleaf services and law databases.
The major collections include:
- Complete set of NSW legislation from 1824 to present
- Historical reprint collection of selected NSW legislation
- UK legislation and case reports from 1200s to present
- All major Commonwealth and NSW case report series from 1880
- over 500 looseleaf services
- over 500 legal journals
Most of the collection is kept in storage and available upon request. The LIAC centre holds a small, select reference collection of legal material including NSW legislation, selected recent legal journals, pamphlets and plain English legal books.
NSW and some Commonwealth legislation as well as an extensive collection of looseleaf services relating to NSW are kept on the Reference shelves.
Downstairs on the Open Access shelves you will find a wide range of current legal text books and overviews. This is only about 2% of the collection and you should always check the State Library catalogue to find relevant material.
Some material is also held in the Mitchell Library.
Use the State Library catalogue to find resources held in the State Library.
Databases
The State Library subscribes to a number of Australian and international legal databases. All of these databases are free to use in the library (charges apply for printing).
Some databases are also available for offsite access for registered users (NSW residents only).
Major databases include:
- Casebase
- AGISPlus
- Firstpoint
- Halsburys Laws of Australia
- Laws of Australia
- All England Law Reports
- Australian Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents
- Australian Law Reports
For a full list of legal databases available in the State Library, please refer to the Law Databases page.
Historical research
The State Library of NSW is one of the oldest libraries in Australia and has an extensive historical collection of legislation, journals and case reports.
Most of the collection is kept in storage and available upon request.
Staff in the Legal Information Access Centre can assist you to find historical reprints, point-in-time legislation as well as tracking down old case reports and commentaries.
Research assistance
LIAC staff can help with simple to complex legal issues. In order to do this we may provide you with extracts from published works, referral to a particular legal text or website, or we may put you in contact with other experts. Whatever the answer, we will deliver it in the way most effective and convenient to you, whether that be by fax, post, email or phone.
We can undertake some research for people who are unable to visit us, and whose requests cannot be satisfied through our public library services.
Whilst we do not undertake research for students, we will recommend strategies and resources.
- See our service policy.
- See our information package.
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