italics: legal references

The following guidelines explain how to deal with legal references in running text.

Court cases

The names of court cases appear in italics in both legal and general writing:

• Cooper v Hobart
• Graat v R
• In Jordan House Hotel Ltd v Menow, the Supreme Court ruled that the owner of a bar must ensure that intoxicated customers have a safe way home.

Legislation

In general writing, titles of legislation appear in roman type (i.e. not in italics):

• The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act was passed in 2012.
• Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Immigration and Refugee Board is empowered to hear cases involving refugee matters.

However, in legal writing and in many Canadian government documents, titles of legislation are placed in italics:

• The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act was passed in 2012.
• Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Immigration and Refugee Board is empowered to hear cases involving refugee matters.

Do not italicize short forms such as “the Act” or “the Charter”:

• The Act defines environment as including land, water and air; organic and inorganic matter; living organisms; and natural systems.

Do not italicize the abbreviation for the title of a piece of legislation, especially when it follows the title written in full. Readers not familiar with the legislation may think that the abbreviation is part of the title.

• Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA)
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA)