Country-by-Country Guide to Foreign Law Research

This country-by-country guide will help get you started on your foreign law research by connecting you to the best research guides and databases for each country. 

Notes about the guide:

  • Links under Country go to the CIA's World Factbook.
  • The LC Call Number indicates where the print materials for that country are located on the Lower East Side (LES) of the Yale Law Library.
  • The Regional Map icons go to a map of the larger geographical region.
  • LC Country Studies provide social, political, legal and economic information
  • The FLG is the outstanding and comprehensive Foreign Law Guide which will give you the historical, political and legal framework for each country plus the past and current sources of legal information, including where to find legislation, codes and case decisions, print and online. This is a Yale subscription database.
  • HLS refers to Harvard Law School's list of online guides to doing legal research in foreign jurisdictions.
  • WorldLII is a directory of legal information available on the Internet.
  • The Online Guides column includes the most substantial guide available from a library or research site.
  • The World Law Guide is a good resource for current legislation.
  • The Gazettes column features a link to the country's national gazette.
  • Finally, the Other Databases column lists other valuable subscription or open-access databases or websites for that country.
Country
LC Call Number Range
Regional Map LC Country Study FLG HLS Legal Information Institute (WorldLii) Online Guides WorldLaw Guide Gazettes Other Databases
Macau (KPF)  CS  HLS

WorldLII 

GlobaLex (China -- for after 2010) LOC (see Portugal for any information before 2010)



Boletim Oficial (in Portuguese and Chinese)


Macedonia (KKZ)   

WorldLII

GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Службен Весник


Madagascar (KSR)  CS FLG 

WorldLII SAFLIIDroit Afrique

GlobaLex

LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Gazetim-panjakan' ny Repoblika Demokratika Malagasy = Journal officiel de la Republique democratique de Madagascar (not available online)



Juricaf

Malawi (KSS)  FLG 

WorldLII CommonLII SAFLII

Northwestern GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Malawi Government Gazette (not available online)


Malaysia (KPG)  FLG HLS

WorldLII AsianLII CommonLII

GlobaLex GlobaLex (Researching Islamic Law in Malaysia) LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Government Gazette (primary and subsidiary legislation)



Lexis (Case Law, Legislation, Commentaries & Treatises, International Arbitration) Law Database of Malaysia Chief Registrar's Office Federal Court of Malaysia Official Website

Maldives (KPH)  CS  HLS

WorldLII AsianLII CommonLII

LOC



Government Gazette (in Dhiveni only)


Mali (KST)  FLG 

WorldLIIDriot Afrique

GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Journal Officiel de la République du Mali



Juricaf

Malta (KKK)  FLG 

WorldLII CommonLII

LLRXGlobaLex (Microstates)
LOC

WorldLaw Guide

The Malta Government Gazette



N-Lex

Marshall Islands (KVS)   HLS

WorldLII PacLII

LOC

WorldLaw Guide

The Marshall Islands Gazette (not available online)


Mauritania (Islamic Republic of) (KSU)  CS FLG 

WorldLII

GlobaLexLOC

WorldLaw Guide

Journal officiel de la Republique islamique de Mauritanie (in French)


Mauritius (KSV)  CS FLG 

WorldLII  CommonLIISAFLII

 

GlobaLex (African Law) LOC

WorldLaw Guide

 Gazette du gouvernement  (not available online)


Mexico (KGF)  CS FLG HLS

WorldLII

LLRX (websites) LLRX (civil code) LLRX(guide) GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Diario Oficial (gazette / laws)



Legislación Mexicana, 1687 - 1902 (laws)

Suprema Corte de Justicia (jurisprudence)

Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas (IIJ UNAM) (constitution in English and Spanish, laws, scholarship)

Legislación y Jurisprudencia (IIJ UNAM) (laws and cases)

Biblioteca Jurídica Virtual (IIJ UNAM) (law reviews)

Ediciones Andrade (Yale does not subscribe)

Justia México

Lexis (Legislacion, Jurisprudencia (Case Law), Doctrina y Referencia (Law Journals & Reference), Archivos (Archives), International Arbitration)

Westlaw (Legislation & Regulations, Journals, Law Reviews & Periodicals)

Latin Laws -- Biblioteca Legal Latinoamericana

LC Translation of National Legislation into English

Micronesia, Federated States of (KVS)   HLS

WorldLII PacLII

GlobaLex (South Pacific Law) LOC

 
Moldova (KLM)  CS FLG HLS

WorldLII

LLRX GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide 

MoldLex in Romanian; also in Russian

Monaco (KKL)  FLG 

WorldLII

LLRXGlobaLex (Microstates)
LOC



Journal de Monaco



Westlaw (Patents & Trademarks)

Mongolia (KPJ)  CS FLG HLS

WorldLII AsianLII

GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Official Gazette of Mongolia (not available online)



Selected Mongolian Laws and Regulations 1917-1940

Montenegro (see also, Serbia; Yugoslavia) (KKZ)  FLG 

WorldLII

GlobaLex (Microstates and Small Jurisdictions of Europe) LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Official Gazette of the Republic of Montenegro (not available online)


Morocco (KSW)  FLG 

WorldLIIDroit Afrique

LLRX GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Boletin Officiel



Juricaf

Mozambique (KSX)  FLG 

WorldLII CommonLII SAFLII

GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Boletim da República



Legislation

Myanmar, Republic of the Union of (Burma) (KNL)  FLG HLS

WorldLII AsianLII

LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Pyihtaungsu Hsoshelit Thamata Myanma Naingngantaw Pyantan (not available online)



 

Stephanie Davidson created the original version of this guide for a clinic several years ago. It has since been modified to suit general foreign law research. Thanks to Zhang Yue, YC '10 and Anna Ershova, YC '11 for their assistance in updating this guide.

Questions/Comments