Westlaw UK and LexisNexis are the two primary legal databases used in UK law schools and practice. Mastering them will dramatically improve your research efficiency.
Westlaw UK
Case Search
Use the Cases tab to search by party name, citation, or keyword. The Case Analysis page shows you the case's judicial history — whether it has been applied, distinguished, overruled, or considered by later courts. This is essential for checking whether your authority is still good law.
Legislation
The Legislation tab provides statutes in their current consolidated form with annotations showing relevant case law for each section. Use the Overview Document to see all amendments and commencement dates.
Journals
Search the Journals tab for academic articles. Use the Subject/Keyword field to narrow results. Westlaw indexes most major UK law journals.
LexisNexis
CaseSearch
LexisNexis offers CaseSearch with natural language queries. You can type a question like "duty of care pure economic loss" and get relevant results. Use the Appellate History and Case Signal indicators to check the status of authorities.
Halsbury's Laws
Halsbury's Laws of England on LexisNexis is an encyclopaedic statement of the law. It is an excellent starting point for unfamiliar topics — it provides a structured overview with citations to all relevant authorities.
Research Strategy
- Start broad: Use Halsbury's or a textbook to understand the area
- Identify key cases: Note the leading authorities cited
- Check currency: Use case citators to ensure authorities are still good law
- Find commentary: Search journals for academic analysis of key cases
- Follow footnotes: The best sources cite other excellent sources
Boolean Operators
| Operator | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| AND | negligence AND "duty of care" | Both terms must appear |
| OR | misrepresentation OR deceit | Either term may appear |
| NOT | contract NOT employment | Excludes results with the second term |
| /s | breach /s duty | Terms within the same sentence |
| /p | negligence /p "economic loss" | Terms within the same paragraph |