Getting a Print Copy of the Case

If you have a citation for a reported case, try searching the law report series' abbreviation (e.g., BCLR) by title in UBC's online catalogue to find the location and call number of the report series. If this method is unsuccessful, check here or in print, the Abbreviations section in the Canadian Abridgment's KEY volume -- at LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE173 .C364 2003. Once you know the law report's full title, find its location and call number by searching online catalogue

Example: Van de Perre v Edwards (2001), 94 BCLR (3d) 199.

A Title search in UBC's online catalogue for BCLR finds British Columbia Law Reports (3d) at LAW LIBRARY level 4: KEB104 .A243. Most law reports are located on level 4 of the library. Browse the BCLR (third series) to locate volume 94, then turn to page 199 to find Van de Perre v Edwards. You may find copies of recent (1990 or later) BC decisions from the Courts of British Columbia website using significant words from the case name as your search terms. For example, "Vinderskov near Vinderskov" retrieves Vinderskov v Vinderskov, 2002 BCCA 590.

Note: Recent unreported decisions from the B.C. courts use neutral citation; cases are cited by a number given them by the courts. For example, 2002 BCCA 590 means case #590 decided in 2002 by B.C. Court of Appeal.

These resources are important tools for carrying out effective legal research. However, this guide provides a selective listing only, and is not meant to be exhaustive. There are many other legal materials that may be relevant to the issues you are researching. Please consult a librarian for assistance with your particular topic.