There are
a number of excellent Internet sources available for locating foreign
law. A few of the best websites are listed below.
Foreign law is not the same as international law. Foreign law is the law
of an individual foreign country or, in some instances, of an identifiable
group of foreign countries that have a common legal system or a common
set of rules in a particular field of law. For a concise analysis of foreign
law versus international law see, "Is
Foreign Law International Law?," ASIL Insight, October
31, 2005, by Frederic L. Kirgis.
Please remember that not all laws are translated into English, many are
not official or authoritative, and they are not always accurate or up
to date. Here are some of the best foreign law websites:
•
WorldLII -- World Legal Information
Institute's collection of 545 databases from 55 countries.
•
GlobaLex
-- published by the Hauser Global Law School Program at NYU School
of Law. Links to research guides for about 45 countries. It's great
because these research guides get updated fairly often.
•
Foreign
Government Resources on the Web -- This is a webpage at the
University of Michigan Library Documents Center and has links to
Foreign Government Web Sites as well as Related Foreign Information
such as Embassies, News, Statistics, and International Agencies.
•
Government
Documents Department Foreign Government Resources -- Housed
at the University of Florida. Great for finding Ministries and Departments,
and National Services.
•
Comparative and Foreign
Law Guides -- From LLRX.com, a web journal that publishes articles
and research guides written by nationally recognized law librarians
and attorneys.
•
Guide to Law
Online -- From the Law Library of Congress. Click on a country
to find links to the Constitution, Executive, Judicial, Legislative,
Legal Guides and General Sources.
•
Lawtel
-- Index to current United Kingdom and European Union Articles,
and electronic collection of UK and EU practice materials, case
law, proposed and adopted legislation, treaties, commission reports
and notices. [For Hastings Students, Staff and Faculty only.]
•
iSinoLaw
-- Comprehensive source of current legal information for the People's
Republic of China. Includes authoritative English translations of
statutes, judicial interpretations, cases, arbitration awards and
other legal matters. Also includes secondary sources, weekly updates,
and legal news. [For Hastings Students, Staff and Faculty only.]
•
Foreign
Law Guide -- Information on how to find current print and online
sources of codes and basic legislation in jurisdictions throughout
the world. [For Hastings Students, Staff and Faculty only.]
•
Global
Courts -- Supreme Court decisions in 105 countries, or at least
a way to find them.
•
Government
Gazettes Online -- Also by the University of Michigan Library
Gov Documents Center.
•
Institute
of Global Law -- from the University College London. French
and German materials in the fields of constitutional, administrative,
contract and tort law.
•
Foreign
Law: Legal Research Resources on the Internet -- This is from
the University of Chicago. It has not been updated since 2002 but
has good starting places for Child and Children topics such as Child
Refugees and Child Labor. (Also see the Selected
Foreign Laws webpage maintained by University of Chicago.)
