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To cite an Act, give its name exactly as enacted, the year, and (when you point to a provision) the section. The punctuation is what changes between styles: OSCOLA writes Consumer Protection Act 1987, s 2 with no comma before the year, while APA 7th adds a code citation and the year of the version you read.
The format
Each style names the same elements in a different order. Use the template that matches the style your journal, department or thesis regulations name.
OSCOLA (4th edition)
The Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities sets out the rule in section 2.4.1: cite an Act by its short title and year in roman type, with capitals on the major words and no comma before the year. Template: Short Title Year, s Number(subsection)(paragraph).
- Do not use popular titles such as “Lord Campbell’s Act”; use the short title.
- Where several jurisdictions could have an Act of the same name, add the jurisdiction in brackets: Water Resources Act 1991 (UK).
- In a footnote, put a comma after the year, then a space and the pinpoint. No full stop follows the abbreviation.
| Provision | OSCOLA abbreviation |
|---|---|
| part | pt / pts |
| section | s / ss |
| subsection | sub-s / sub-ss |
| paragraph | para / paras |
| subparagraph | subpara / subparas |
| schedule | sch / schs |
APA 7th edition (US federal statute)
Template: Name of Act, Title # Source § Section # (Year). URL. The URL is optional, and source abbreviations such as U.S.C. follow Bluebook form. “Et seq.” marks the first of several sections that codify the Act.
Examples
APA: a US federal Act
Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (2018). Add the govinfo.gov address of the compilation you consulted if your instructions ask for a URL.
OSCOLA: first citation with a pinpoint
- Consumer Protection Act 1987, s 2
- Human Rights Act 1998, s 15(1)(b): with a subsection or paragraph, use only the section abbreviation.
- Criminal Attempts Act 1981, ss 1(1) and 4(3)
OSCOLA: shortened title for later footnotes
A short form is allowed if the reader is warned the first time, and the abbreviation must include the year (“HRA 1998”, never “HRA”). First citation: Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (NIA 1965) s 7(1). Later: NIA 1965, s 12.
A constructed example for a thesis footnote
The Act below is invented to show the pattern and does not exist: Example Research Integrity Act 2020, s 4(2)(a).
Canadian statutes
The University of Alberta Library’s APA guide points Canadian legislation to the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation (McGill Guide, 10th edition). Its example: Administration of Estates Act, RSA 2000, c A-2 (name, jurisdiction and volume, year, chapter).
In-text citation version
OSCOLA. In running text write either “section 5(1)(a) of the Race Relations Act 1976” or “the Race Relations Act 1976, s 5(1)(a)”. Spell out “section” at the start of a sentence.
APA. The in-text form is the name of the Act and the year, in parentheses: (Americans With Disabilities Act, 2018). In narrative form: Americans With Disabilities Act (2018).
Common errors
- Taking the year of passage when you read a later compilation. Purdue OWL advises using the year of the compilation you consulted, because passage and publication years often differ. Two APA guides show the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 with (2018) and (1990) respectively, which illustrates the point: the year follows the version you used.
- A comma before the year in OSCOLA. The rule is no comma: Consumer Protection Act 1987.
- Popular titles. OSCOLA prohibits them; use the short title.
- Full stops in abbreviations. OSCOLA writes s, ss, sch, not s. or sch.
- Abbreviating the Act without the year. “HRA” alone does not meet OSCOLA; “HRA 1998” does.
Style-guide edition
This guide gives APA 7th edition (2020) patterns and the OSCOLA 4th edition rules, as published in the Oxford Faculty of Law’s official PDF, checked 2026-10-29. For other source types see how to cite sources properly, APA in-text citations for multiple authors and Chicago works cited. For pointing to a specific passage in a source, see how to cite paragraphs.
FAQ
Do I need a section number when I cite an Act?
Only when you rely on a specific provision. OSCOLA adds it after a comma (Consumer Protection Act 1987, s 2); APA places it after the section symbol in the code citation (§ 12101).
Which year do I use?
In OSCOLA, the year is part of the Act’s short title. In APA, use the year of the compilation you consulted.
Can I shorten the name of an Act?
In OSCOLA footnotes, yes, if you warn the reader first and keep the year in the abbreviation: (NIA 1965).
Sources
- Faculty of Law, University of Oxford. OSCOLA: Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities, 4th edition, section 2.4. law.ox.ac.uk (PDF). Checked 2026-10-29.
- Regis College Library. APA 7: Legal materials. libguides.regiscollege.edu/APA7/legal. Page updated 6 October 2026; checked 2026-10-29.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab. APA Legal References. owl.purdue.edu. Checked 2026-10-29.
- University of Alberta Library. APA citation style: Legal references. guides.library.ualberta.ca. Page updated 16 October 2026; checked 2026-10-29.
