How to Cite Laws in Harvard Style

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When writing a research paper, especially in the social sciences, you might want to reference laws or use them as a source. Generally, this means you'll have an in-text citation that relates back to a reference list entry that includes full publication information for the law so your readers can find the law and read it themselves. Harvard referencing style provides a basic format for your reference list entry and in-text citation. However, specifics may vary among institutions, so check with your instructor for exact requirements.

Steps

Reference List Entry

Start your entry with the title of the act. Because the government is essentially considered the author of a law, you wouldn't typically include the author in your reference list for a law. Rather, you'd provide the popular title of the law. If the law was passed by the parliament in your own country, italicize the title. Capitalize the title of the act exactly as it is in the act itself. Example: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act

Add the year and jurisdiction. Add a space after the title and then the year. If the title of the act was italicized, the year is also italicized. Add the jurisdiction in parentheses. The jurisdiction is not italicized. Check with your instructor for appropriate abbreviations for the jurisdiction. Example: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cwlth) In the above example, a law passed by the Australian Parliament uses "Cwlth," the abbreviation for "Commonwealth," as the jurisdiction. "Commonwealth" can also be abbreviated "Cth."

Include chapters or sections if applicable. In some situations, you refer only to a specific chapter or section of the act rather than the act as a whole. Type a comma after the closing parenthesis of the jurisdiction, then add the chapter ("c.") or section ("s.") number. Example: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act 2005 (Cwlth), s. 67Tip: Reference list entries for laws typically don't include a period (full stop) at the end.

Close with the place of publication and the publisher. When using Harvard referencing in the UK, you may need to include additional publication information for the law, just as you would with a book or journal article. Place a period after the chapter or section number, then add the place of publication and name of the publisher. This information will typically be the same for all laws passed by the same government. Example: Modern Slavery Act 2015 (UK), c. 30. London: The Stationery Office.

Indicate if you accessed the law online, if required. UK institutions also typically distinguish from print and online laws in reference list entries. After the chapter number, add the word "online" in square brackets. Place a period outside the closing bracket, then include the place of location and publisher as usual. Place a period after the publisher's name, then type the date accessed in square brackets, using day-month-year format for the date. Do not abbreviate the names of months. Add a period after the closing bracket, then type the words "Available from" followed by the URL. Example: Modern Slavery Act 2015 (UK), c. 30. [Online]. London: The Stationery Office. [Accessed 20 May 2020]. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/

In-Text Citation

Include the title of the act and the year in the text of your paper. If you work the title of the act and the year it was passed into your text, you generally don't need any additional parenthetical citation. You can also use simply the title with the year in parentheses immediately after the title. For example, you might write: The Modern Slavery Act of 2015 was designed to combat human trafficking, particularly of young girls in the sex trade.Tip: Some institutions don't require a reference list entry at all if you include the title of the act and the year in the text of your paper.

Provide a parenthetical citation if the title isn't mentioned in your text. In some contexts, it's not possible to include the title of the act in your text. In that situation, add a parenthetical with the title of the act and the year at the end of the sentence where you discuss the act, inside the closing punctuation. For example, you might write: The law provides stiff penalties for human traffickers as well as government support for victims (Modern Slavery Act 2015).

Add the jurisdiction abbreviation if required. Some versions of Harvard referencing, such as the style used in Australian institutions, require you to provide the jurisdiction that passed the law in parentheses after the name and date. This information is required even if you include the name and date in the text of your paper. For example, you might write: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act of 2015 (Cwlth) regulates the possession and consumption of alcohol in aboriginal trust areas.