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
Iceland (KKG)  FLG HLS

WorldLII

GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Stjornatidindi; Logbirtingablad (not available online)


India (KNS)  CS FLG HLS

LIIofIndia WorldLII AsianLII CommonLII

Northwestern LLRX GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Gazette of Government of India;  Goa Government Gazette



Lexis (Case Law, International Arbitration)

SCC Online

Westlaw India

Advocate Khoj(Acts and Rules passed by the Indian Parliament, full text of Supreme Court Judgments (1950 onwards), Legal Forms, Sample Agreements and Glossary)

India Code

Law is Greek

Indian Judicial Pronouncements:

Judgment Information System

Indian Kanoon

Indian Courts

Legislation:

Indian Code

PRS Legislative Search

Parliament of India Debates

Indonesia (KNW)  CS FLG HLS

WorldLII AsianLII

LLRXGlobaLexLOC

WorldLaw Guide

Lembaran Negara Republik Indonesia; Berita Negara Republik Indonesia (not available online)



Lexis (International Arbitration)

Westlaw (Environmental, Health & Safety Regulations)

Iran, Islamic Republic of (KMH)  CS FLG HLS   WorldLII LOC
GlobaLex
WorldLaw Guide

Ruznamah-'i Rasmi-i Jumhuri-i Islami (not available online)


Iraq (KMJ)  CS FLG HLS

WorldLII

LOC 

Al Waqa'i Al-Iraqiya (Official) - presently not available online



Global Justice Project: Iraq

Ireland, Republic of (KDK)  FLG HLS   BaiLII WorldLII

LLRX

GlobaLex

LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Iris Oifigiủil



European Case Law Database

Lexis (Case Law, Treatises, International Arbitration)

Westlaw (Patents & Trademarks)

N-Lex

Israel (KMK)  CS FLG HLS

WorldLII

LLRX GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Reshumot



Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel's bilateral agreements; English)

UTexas translated legal materials

Israel Law Reports

LAPAM (Israel law database)

Lexis (International Arbitration)

LC Translation of National Legislation into English

Italy (KKH)  FLG HLS   WorldLII

Northwestern LLRX GlobaLex LOC

WorldLaw Guide

Gazetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana



Constitutional Court of Italy - judgments and other information, also in English

Normeinrete (portal for access to all published Italian legislation)

Giurisprudenza di Merito On-Line

Lexis (ItaliaOggi, ItaliaOggi7, Legislation & Regulations, International Arbitration)

Westlaw (Environmental, Health & Safety Regulations, Patents & Trademarks)

N-Lex

 

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