How do I cite a court case in OSCOLA?

To cite a court case in OSCOLA (4th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

What is the OSCOLA format for a court case citation?

The OSCOLA format for a court case is: Harrington v Board of Regents (2016) 812 F3d 455 (9th Cir)

What does the in-text citation look like for a court case in OSCOLA?

In OSCOLA, the in-text citation for the example above is Harrington v Board of Regents (2016) 812 F3d 455 (9th Cir).

How to Cite a Court Case in OSCOLA (4th edition)

Learn how to cite a court case or legal decision in OSCOLA format (4th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

OSCOLA Bibliography Format

Here is the standard OSCOLA format for citing a court case in your bibliography:

OSCOLA Example for a Court Case

A complete OSCOLA reference for a court case, formatted by the official OSCOLA CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

Harrington v Board of Regents (2016) 812 F3d 455 (9th Cir)

Matching in-text citation: Harrington v Board of Regents (2016) 812 F3d 455 (9th Cir).

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your court case.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the OSCOLA (4th edition) template shown above.
Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match OSCOLA requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: oscola.csl

Metadata to collect

case name (the parties)
volume number
reporter abbreviation
first page
court
decision year

Common metadata traps

Use the official reporter citation rather than a database URL when one exists.
Check whether your style italicizes the case name in the text but not in the reference entry.

Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a court case in OSCOLA?: To cite a court case in OSCOLA (4th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the OSCOLA format for a court case citation?: The OSCOLA format for a court case is: Harrington v Board of Regents (2016) 812 F3d 455 (9th Cir)
What does the in-text citation look like for a court case in OSCOLA?: In OSCOLA, the in-text citation for the example above is Harrington v Board of Regents (2016) 812 F3d 455 (9th Cir).