About Find Legal Answers

Find Legal Answers is a free legal information service for the community of NSW. 

Find Legal Answers is a service of the State Library of NSW. It provides legal information for the community of NSW online and at your local public library. 

You can visit the State Library to do advanced legal research.  

Finding legal information online

The Find Legal Answers website provides links to plain English legal information from legal service providers and government agencies as well as to online books about the law. 

Finding legal information at your public library

There are over 360 public libraries in NSW. Public libraries are safe and welcoming spaces providing free access to collections, services, programs and information technology, as well as opportunities for social interaction and inclusion. There are areas for people to study, spaces to sit and read and places for people to engage with others through public programs on a wide range of topics including the law.

Public libraries have collections of books, magazines, DVDs, ebooks and audio books for children and adults. Free access to the internet is available in public libraries and public library members can connect to online content from home using their library card.

Find Legal Answers Tool Kit

Woman looking at a collection of books in a black stand

The Find Legal Answers Tool Kit is a collection of plain English books about the law, covering a variety of topics including debt, family law, fines, wills and estates, and going to court. 

You can read the Tool Kit books online or visit your local public library to read or borrow the books in hard copy.

Free online databases

Public libraries have free online databases. Many are available to use from home with a library card.

You can find information about the law in online databases including:

  • Gale In Context: Global Issues - find information and commentary on a wide variety of topics.
  • Gale OneFile: News - provides access to more than 2,300 major world newspapers (including Australian publications), and includes thousands of images, radio and TV broadcasts and transcripts.
  • Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints - find information and opposing views about a wide range of topics. 

Finding legal information at the State Library

The Library has a large collection of textbooks, looseleaf services, legal encyclopaedias, databases, journals, legislation and court reports - everything you need to do legal research.

Legal textbooks

Legal textbooks give an overview of a legal subject, provide commentary on the law and often discuss key cases and refer to relevant legislation. If you are using textbooks, check the date of publication as the law can change from year to year. The State Library has a comprehensive collection. 

Find legal textbooks by asking at the desk or searching the catalogue.

Legal commentaries

Legal commentaries provide-up-to-date, detailed information about different areas of the law. They provide overviews about legal topics and commentary about legislation and key cases. Legal commentaries which are updated in hard copy are known as looseleaf services. Looseleaf services are published in ring binders which means they can be frequently updated. Many legal commentaries are now available online. Legal commentaries are published by major law publishers such as CCH, Thomson Reuters and Westlaw.

The State Library has a large collection of online and hard copy legal commentaries. Ask at the desk, check the eresources page or check the open access shelves on level LG2. Online legal commentaries can only be used in the Library.

Online legal commentaries include:

  • CCH Law Resources [eresource] - find information about discrimination law, employment law, family law and torts. Includes commentary, legislation and full text of cases.
  • Westlaw AU [eresource] - find commentary from a wide range of publications including Criminal Law NSW, Criminal Procedure NSW, Motor Vehicle Law NSW and the Lawyers Practice Manual.
Legal encyclopaedias 

Legal encyclopaedias give comprehensive overviews of legal topics. They are divided into broad subject areas and give a comprehensive overview of the subject, including relevant legislation and cases.

Visit the State Library to use encyclopaedias including:

  • Oxford Reference Online: Law [eresource] - find a number of encyclopaedias such as the New Oxford Companion to Law and the Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia. 
  • Halsbury's laws of Australia [catalogue record] - this 30 volume legal encyclopaedia provides a comprehensive overview of Australian law. It gives overviews of 89 subject areas, covering all aspects of Australian law, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, animals, consumer protection, criminal law, employment, and family law. Legislation and case law is discussed for each subject area.
  • Laws of Australia [catalogue record] - this 36 volume legal encyclopaedia provides a comprehensive overview of Australian law. It covers 320 topics in 36 broad subjects, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, criminal law, dispute resolution, family law, and human rights. Legislation and case law is discussed for each subject area. You can also use Laws of Australia online on the Westlaw eresource.
Legal cases

Courts and tribunals make decisions on the cases that come before them by deciding the facts and applying the law to these facts. Case reports are the written records of these decisions.

These decisions can be called cases, judgments, decisions, determinations or findings. Law reports are published cases. 

Case law is one of the “primary sources” of law. Books, legal commentaries, journal articles etc are called “secondary sources”.

Legal cases are important sources of information as they show how the courts have treated a legal issue. Legal cases may also set precedent. The ‘doctrine of precedent’ is the rule that a legal principle that has been established by a superior court should be followed in other similar cases by that court and other courts. 

Finding references to legal cases in books and commentaries

The best way to find legal cases relevant to your legal issue is to look in a legal textbook or legal commentary (see above). Books and commentaries identify and discuss the most important legal cases applying to different areas of the law.

Finding cases

Many cases are freely available online. The State Library has an extensive collection of published law reports.

Note that not all cases are available online or in published law report series. Courts select and provide decisions for publication, usually on the grounds of legal significance. Cases form lower courts such as the Local Court are less likely to be available.

Use the Case Law Research Guide to find cases online and at the State Library.

Legislation

It is important to know which laws apply to your legal situation.

Legislation is one of the “primary sources” of law. Books, legal commentaries, journal articles etc are called “secondary sources”.

Finding references to legislation in books and commentaries

The best way to find the legislation relevant to your legal issue is to look in a legal textbook or legal commentary (see above). Books and commentaries identify and discuss the legislation applying to different areas of the law.

Finding legislation 

Current legislation is freely available online. Some historical legislation is also available online. The State Library also holds an extensive collection of published legislation and historical reprints.

Use the Government Legislation and Publications: NSW Research Guide to find current and historical legislation online and at the State Library.

Finding more information about an Act 

You can find more information about an Act, such as why is it was introduced or changed, by looking at explanatory notes and second reading speeches.

A Bill is an Act before it is passed by Parliament. Explanatory notes describe the purpose of the Bill and provide an explanation of each clause.

In the second reading speech, the Minister in charge of the Bill outlines the reasons behind the Bill and what it seeks to achieve. 

Use the Government Legislation and Publications: NSW Research Guide to find out more about explanatory notes and second reading speeches.

Legal dictionaries

Use legal dictionaries to find definitions of legal terms. Some legal dictionaries include references to important legal cases.

Visit the State Library to find a range of legal dictionaries, including:

Journal and newspaper articles

Journal and newspaper articles provide discussion, analysis and information about legal topics. They are published more frequently than legal books, and are a good source of current information.

The State Library holds a large collection of legal journals. Search the catalogue or use online databases such as:

How laws are made videos

Watch the How laws are made videos to find out how laws are made by Parliament and the courts.

  • Parliament
    The law governs our lives from the day we are born to the day we die. So where do our laws come from? This video explains how parliaments make law, explaining the process of a Bill to an Act, how legislation changes over time, why the Commonwealth makes some laws and the states others, and delegated legislation such as regulations.
  • Courts
    Legislation is a major source of law. Courts are the other source of law. This video explains the court hierarchy, the jurisdiction of courts and tribunals, and how courts can make new law by interpreting legislation, filling gaps in legislation, and developing the common law when there is no legislation
State Library research guides

Use the State Library’s legal research guides to find research strategies and resources.

 

Promotional material

Organisations and community groups in NSW can order brochures and bookmarks to promote the Find Legal Answers service to their community and clients.