Library Guides: Foreign Law (By country and region): Western Europe

Belgium

Belgium Portal
Available in Dutch, French, German and English. Contains a wide variety of information on Belgium, including a tab on "Justice" with basic information about the country's legal framework.
Research Guide to Belgian Law (GlobaLex)
Prepared by Christoph Malliet, a Law Librarian at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Gives a detailed outline of the Belgian legal framework, as well as links where necessary.
Belgian Judiciary
In French and Dutch. Has links to all level of courts, as well as to jurisprudence and legislation.
House of Representatives
In French and Dutch. Wide array of information on the workings of the House, including budgets, commissions, and legislation.
Senate
In French and Dutch, with a very limited section in English. Dutch and French are comprehensive, with information on almost all aspects of the Senate, including members, news and legislation.

France

Researching French Law (GlobaLex)
Written and updated by Stéphane Cottin and Jérôme Rabenou.
French Law on the Internet - the Basics and Free Resources (GlobaLex)
Prepared by Emmanuel Barthe, a law librarian at BMH Avocats in Paris.
French Law
Very basic site. Emphasis is on the laws surrounding living and working in France (taxes, immigration, buying property, etc).
Government of France
In French. A central hub site for much of the French government, with links to various ministries.
Foreign Affairs
Site for Foreign Affairs ministry.
Constitutional Council of the French Republic
Users can find the Constitution and copies of select case law in English. French version of the site has complete collection of case law.

France (Foreign Law Guide)

France (Library of Congress Guide to Law)

Germany

German Legal Research (Harvard)
Although most of the resources are hard-copy, there are a few digital ones as well.
Centre for German Legal Information (CGerLI)
"This website offers you a comprehensive and freely accessible database of electronic materials on German law. It brings together English translations of court decisions, legislation, articles and other law-related documents scattered over the internet and adds them to our own collection of German legal information."
Law Web Saarbrücken
"English-speaking users are able to navigate around the project and take advantage of this comprehensive portal into contemporary legal affairs from Germany and around the world."
Governments on the WWW: Germany
A list that can only be surprised as impressively exhaustive, as it covers pretty much every imaginable German government web site. However, most of the sites are in German, and many are no longer active.
Regierung Online
In German, English and French. The official website of the German government.

Germany (Foreign Law Guide)

Germany (GlobaLex)

Germany (Library of Congress Guide to Law)

Ireland

Irish Legal Research (Harvard)
Has a good mix of hard-copy and digital sources.
Irish Legal Information Initiative
Digital database with many current and leading cases available. It can be browsed and searched.

Italy

Governo Italiano
In Italian. Official Italian government web site.
Guide to Italian Legal Research and Resources on the Web (GlobaLex)
Tremendous English-language guide (although many of the links are in Italian) to the Italian legal system, written by Elio Formeli and Fiorenza Socci.

Italy (Foreign Law Guide)

Italy (Library of Congress Guide to Law)

The Netherlands

Portugal

Legal Research in Portugal
Written and updated by Tiago Fidalgo de Freitas. Links are a combination of English and Portuguese.
Portugal (Foreign Law Guide)
Wonderfully detailed guide. However, many links are in Portuguese. University of Chicago login necessary.

Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland)

Danish Parliament
Site for the Danish Parliamentary body, and has explanations on the broad workings of government as well as some key government documents such as the constitution.
Denmark (Foreign Law Guide)
Denmark (Library of Congress Research Guide)
Finnish Law on the Internet (LLRX)
Written by Sami Sarvilinna in the Finnish Ministry of Justice.
The Government and the Government Offices of Sweden
Includes a link to the Ministry of Justice, which contains copies of significant statutes.
Norway Government
Includes acts, regulations, and reports.
Norwegian Laws in English
Includes statutes, regulations, gazettes and case law.
Online Legal Information in Denmark, Norway and Sweden (LLRX)
Prepared and updated by Suzanne Thorpe.
Researching Law in Denmark (GlobaLex)
Swedish Law and Legal Materials (GlobaLex)
Prepared and updated by Ingrid Kabir and Sofia Sternberg.

Spain

Guide to Legal Research in Spain (GlobaLex)
Written by Olga Cabrero. Links are in English and Spanish.
Congreso de los Diputados
In Spanish and English. Spanish Congress, with search function for legislation, current affairs and other documents and information.
El Senado de España
In Spanish and English.
Official Government Bulletin
In Spanish.

Switzerland

Switzerland (Foreign Law Guide)
Excellent guide that covers most of the basics, although it's a bit thin on references. University of Chicago login required.
The Swiss Legal System and Research (GlobaLex)
Decent guide written by Gregory M. Bovey, a Swiss attorney.
Introduction to the Swiss Legal System: A Guide for Foreign Researchers (LLRX)
Written by Fridolin M.R. Walther, a Swiss Lawyer and Law Professor.
The Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation
Has a variety of resources on the workings and organization of the Swiss government, including some laws in English, but it is noted that "English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. These translations are provided for information purposes only and have no legal force."

United Kingdom

BAILII: British and Irish Legal Information Institute This link opens in a new window
BAILII is a source to find "British and Irish case law & legislation, European Union case law, Law Commission reports, and other law-related British and Irish material."
Cases from the courts of the United Kingdom, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Ireland; tribunal decisions, statutes, law reform commission reports, and statutory instruments (regulations). Cases from the English Reports, Full Reprint (1220-1873). Cases from the European Union's Court of Justice and Court of First Instance, and from the European Court of Human Rights.
ICLR Online This link opens in a new window
ICLR is the authorized publisher of The Law Reports for the UK Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, and High Courts of England and Wales. In addition to case reports and summaries, ICLR offers access to UK legislation through integration with legislation.gov.uk. ICLR also includes a citator, a Briefcase function and print and PDF output options. Supreme Court and House of Lords judgments include a report of the arguments of counsel. Case coverage is from 1865 to present.

legislation.gov.uk
The official home of UK legislation, statutory instruments, and explanatory documents. Replaces the former Statute Law Database.
Finding British Statutes
Sources for current and historical UK statutes.
Hansard - Official Report of Parliamentary Debates
Debates in the House of Commons and House of Lords from 1803 to the present.
Hansard - House of Lords
Browseable back to 1995-96.
Hansard - House of Commons
Browseable back to 1988.
Bills and Legislation
Contains all bills, draft bills and secondary legislation since the late 1980s. Also has a helpful tutorial on the passage of a bill.
UK Supreme Court
Replaced the Judicial House of Lords in 2009. Contains information about the current cases before the court, as well as all of the full decisions that have been delivered.
House of Lords Judgements
Contains all judgements between November 1996 and July 30, 2009, when the Judicial House of Lords was replaced by the UK Supreme Court.
All Select Committee Publications
All Committee Publications from both the House of Lords and the House of Commons dating back to the 1990s.

Subject Specialist

Lyonette Louis-Jacques

Send Email

Contact:

Foreign and International Law
Librarian and Lecturer in Law
D'Angelo Law Library
University of Chicago Law School

773-702-9612

Subjects: Foreign Law, International Law, Law