Skip to Main Content

OSCOLA referencing

Mae'r dudalen hon hefyd ar gael yn a Gymraeg

Reported EU cases

Since 1989, EU cases have been numbered according to whether they were registered at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) or the Court of First Instance (CFI) and given the prefix C- (for ECJ cases or T- (for CFI cases).

Cases prior to 1989 have no prefix.

Where possible, refer to the official reports, the European Court Reports (ECR). ECJ cases are reported in volume one
(ECR I-) and CFI cases are reported in volume two (ECR II-).

If an ECR report is not available, cite the Common Market Law Reports (CMLR). Some cases are also reported in the Law Reports, the Weekly Law Reports and/or the All England Law Reports (European Cases).

 

Case number | case name | [year] | report abbreviation | first page
 

Example
12 Case 240/83 Procureur de la République v ADBHU [1985] ECR 531.

Example in table of cases
Case 240/83 Procureur de la République v ADBHU [1985] ECR 531

Unreported EU cases

Cite the notice from the Official Journal (OJ) C series.

case number | case name | [year] | report abbreviation | first page

Example
15 Case C-556/07 Commission v France [2009] OJ C102/8.

Example in table of cases
Case C-556/07 Commission v France [2009] OJ C102/8


If the case is not yet reported in the OJ
case number | case name | (court abbreviation, | date)

Example
48 Case T-227/08 Bayer Healthcare v OHMI-Uriach Aquilea OTC (CFI, 11 November 2009).

Example in table of cases
Case T-227/08 Bayer Healthcare v OHMI-Uriach Aquilea OTC (CFI, 11 November 2009)

Opinions of the Advocated General

When citing an opinion of an Advocate General, add ‘opinion of AG [name]’ after the case citation and a comma, and before any pinpoint.
 

Example
42 Case C-411/05 Palacios de la Villa v Cortefiel Servicios SA [2007] ECR I- 8531, Opinion of AG Mazak, paras 79-100.

Example in table of cases
Case C-411/05 Palacios de la Villa v Cortefiel Servicios SA [2007] ECR I- 8531, Opinion of AG Mazak

Decisions of the European Commission

Decisions in relation to competition law and mergers are to be referenced as cases.

Case name | (case number) | Commission Decision number | [year] | OJ L issue/first page.

 

Examples
32 Alcatel/Teletra (Case IV/M.042) Commission Decision 91/241/EEC [1991] OJ L122/48.
36 Georg Verkehrsorgani v Ferrovie dello Stato (Case COMP/37.685) Commission Decision 2004/33/EC [2004] OJ L11/17.

Examples in table of cases 
Alcatel/Teletra (Case IV/M.042) Commission Decision 91/241/EEC [1991] OJ L122/48.
Georg Verkehrsorgani v Ferrovie dello Stato (Case COMP/37.685) Commission Decision 2004/33/EC [2004] OJ L11/17.

Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights

Cite judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) consistently throughout an assignment from one of the following series:

  • European Court Reports (ECR) or
  • Reports of Judgments and Decisions (ECHR) or
  • European Human Rights Reports (EHRR)

Case name | citation | first page.

Example
27 Osman v UK ECHR 1998-VIII 3124.

Example in table of cases
Osman v UK ECHR 1998-VIII 3124

 

Unreported European Court of Human Rights Cases 

case name | application number | (court abbreviations, | date).

Example
23 Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECtHR, 20 July 2004).

Example in table of cases
Balogh v Hungary App no 47940/99 (ECtHR, 20 July 2004)

Pinpoint

To pinpoint, follow the case citation with a comma, ‘para’ or ‘paras’ and the paragraph number(s) in square brackets.

Example
44 Case C-176/03 Commission v Council [2005] ECR I-7879, paras [47-48].

 

To pinpoint European Court of Human RIght cases, follow the case citation with a comma, ‘para’ or ‘para(s)’ and the paragraph number(s) in square brackets.

Example
25 Omojudi v UK (2010) 51 EHRR 10, paras [4-1].