Law Resources

The Library’s law resources are the main publicly accessible collection in Victoria. Mostly comprising copies of Victorian and Australian legislation and law reports, this collection also focuses on plain language resources such as basic law textbooks, encyclopedias, pamphlets and law handbooks for Victoria and the other Australian states.

What's in the Law Resources Collection?

Current legislation which includes acts, subordinate legislation, bills, regulations, and government publications that complement legislation are available in hard copy and electronic formats. This collection also contains indexes and loose-leaf law resources providing commentary on legislation, and principal general law reports which cover all Australian jurisdictions as well as particular aspects or areas of the law such as family, administrative, and criminal law.

In addition to Australian material, the Library has copies of legislation and principal law reports from countries whose laws have an important impact on Australia – specifically the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

What's special about this collection?

The Library's collection of law resources also includes a significant collection of historic material, thanks to legal deposit which requires all publications produced in Victoria to be lodged at the State Library. Other historic materials include legislation from Commonwealth and Pacific countries, and items relating to the Australian constitution.

How can I access material in this collection?

A selection of items from the Library’s Law Resources Collection is available for browsing and reading in the Redmond Barry Reading Room and the Information Centre.