Foreign Law
Foreign law refers to the domestic law of foreign countries (as distinct from international law, which refers to laws that govern the relationship between countries). Foreign law can be difficult to locate, especially when the researcher does not read the language of the country in which he or she is interested. The first step in any foreign law research project should be to consult the first database listed below, the Foreign Law Guide, which provides helpful bibliographic overviews of a country's legal system and sources of law.
- Foreign Law Guide This link opens in a new windowBibliography of sources of foreign law organized by country. Each entry contains a brief description of the country's legal system with citations to primary sources of law both in print and electronic versions when available. At the end of each entry is a list of subject headings with citations to the relevant laws or statutes.
- vLex Justis World Law This link opens in a new window
Provides access to case law, legislation, regulation, legal blogs and general news sources from many world jurisdictions including the U.K and Ireland (formerly the Justis database), Continental Europe (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and others), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, and others), Asia Pacific (Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and others), South Africa and more.
- Making of Modern Law Foreign Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
Provides four centuries of superseded legal codes, statutory materials, and code-related commentaries from around the world. With documents from southern Europe, Latin America, Canada, Australia, India, and elsewhere, including Roman and canon law, this resource contains over 1,500 titles on diverse jurisdictions.
- Foreign & International Law Resources Database (Hein Online) This link opens in a new windowFull text access to regional, national and subject based yearbooks of international law, U.S. international law digests, international tribunal decisions and several significant works related to foreign and international law.
- Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals This link opens in a new windowIndex of articles from selected foreign law periodicals and US law reviews focused on international law
- World Constitutions Illustrated This link opens in a new windowProvides current constitutions for every country, constitutional histories for many countries, and a variety of full-text sources covering constitutions worldwide.
- Oxford Constitutional Law This link opens in a new windowEnglish translations of the constitutions of most countries of the world, territories, and dependencies. The constitutions are accompanied by individual commentaries and supplementary materials, including foundation documents, historical constitutions, and amendment Acts/laws, and a collection of scholarly monographs. Includes the states and territories of the United States.
- Justis UK/EU/Commonwealth Law This link opens in a new windowProvides searchable full-text access to UK case law and statutes, EU case law and legislation, and case law from Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and several Caribbean nations. Also includes access to the International Law Reports.
- Making Of Modern Law: Foreign, Comparative, and International Law, 1600-1926 This link opens in a new window
Provides digital access to historical legal treatises and commentaries covering the law in a variety of foreign jurisdictions including Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and Switzerland as well as international, comparative and religious (Canon, Jewish, and Islamic) law topics.
- English Reports, Full Reprint 1220-1865 (Hein Online) This link opens in a new windowSearch or browse all 176 volumes of the English Reports, Full Reprint along with its \Index of Cases\ and \Index Chart.\ This collection encompasses the decisions of the English Courts prior to the commencement of the Law Reports in 1865.
- U.K. Parliamentary Papers This link opens in a new windowIncludes the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers from 1715 to the present (with supplementary material back to 1688) and the House of Lords Papers from 1715-1910. Includes searchable full text and subject indexing. The Parliamentary Papers are an essential primary source for Britain, its colonies, and the wider world. They are the working documents of government for all areas of social, political, economic, and foreign policy. 1688+
- LLMC Digital This link opens in a new windowElectronic database of historical legal materials is a work in progress. Over the next 5-7 years, this database will contain over 200,000 volumes of U.S. government documents, case reporters, statutes of the U.S. and selected foreign nations, the Congressional Record, the Congressional Globe and many other law materials. A rich source for legal history researchers.
- Takdin Israel Law Database This link opens in a new windowContains full-text access to over 600,000 Israeli cases and laws, and articles from Israel's leading business finance newspaper -Globes (all in Hebrew). Also provides English access to a limited selection of case law, mostly from Israel's Supreme Court.
- Israel Law Reports (Hein Online) This link opens in a new windowEnglish translations of selected decisions of the Supreme Court of Israel. Formerly titled Selected Judgments of the Supreme Court of Israel.
- SCC Online Indian Law This link opens in a new windowExtensive searchable database of Indian case law and statutes. Contains some secondary source material and some pre-statehood material as well. Also included is legal material from Bangladesh, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Uganda.
- India Parliament. Rajya Sabha. Parliamentary Debates, 1952- This link opens in a new windowFrom CRL. Holdings begin with Vol. 9, No. 1, 1955.
- Pakistan Law Site This link opens in a new window
The Pakistan Law Site is a repository of statutes, rules and cases related to Pakistan. The repository also contains academic articles published in the law-reporting journals of PLD Publishers.
- Law Info China/ China Law Info This link opens in a new windowAlso known as Beida fabao, or pkulaw.cn. Chinese laws, regulations and cases in Chinese (Chinalawinfo) and English/Chinese (Lawinfochina). One concurrent user only. 1949+
- LawnB This link opens in a new windowCollection of Korean legal material including law information, judicial precedents, official documents, and information on lawyers and law firms.
- Annotated Legal Documents on Islam in Europe OnlineAnnotated collection of currently valid legal documents affecting the status of Islam and Muslims in Europe.
- vLex Justis World Law This link opens in a new window
Provides access to case law, legislation, regulation, legal blogs and general news sources from many world jurisdictions including the U.K and Ireland (formerly the Justis database), Continental Europe (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and others), Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, and others), Asia Pacific (Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and others), South Africa and more.
- Qistas This link opens in a new windowProvides access to legal content (including legislation, case law and more) from several Arab countries including Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Authority-Administered Territories (plus several Gulf States are scheduled to be added). Most of the content is in Arabic, but some English translation is provided. To access, select "Direct Login" below login boxes after you authenticate. Alternatively, you can register for a personal account using your Princeton NETID.
- Eastlaws This link opens in a new windowEastlaws network collects, indexes, and makes available legal documents related to prosecutions, courts, law firms, and legal departments. These documents originate from Arabic legal programs, legal professional associations, administrative units at all levels of Arab judiciary Institutions, Faculties of Law and legal Research Institutes, legal Departments of private Companies, and international Organizations.
