University Library: AGLC: Government documents & extrinsic materials

Government documents

Rule 7.1 Reports and similar documents

Reports and similar documents should be cited as follows:

Author, Title (Document Type/Series No Document Number, Full Date) Pinpoint

First footnote
1. Legislative Council Select Committee into Elder Abuse, Parliament of Western Australia 'I Never Thought It Would Happen To Me: When Trust is Broken' (Report, September 2018).

Bibliography

Legislative Council Select Committee into Elder Abuse, Parliament of Western Australia 'I Never Thought It Would Happen To Me: When Trust is Broken' (Report, September 2018)

(note that the single quotes in this example are a part this particular report title - they should not be used in your own report title. Simply substitute your report title in italics)

Rule 7.1.3 If the royal commission report does not prominently indicate an author, no author should be included in the citation of the report.

Should be cited: Title (Report, Month Year) pinpoint

First footnote

2. Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Interim Report, 30 June 2014) vol 1.

Bibliography

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Interim Report, 30 June 2014) vol 1

Rule 7.1.4 The type of publication ('Report', Discussion Paper', 'Issues Paper' etc) should be included, where appropriate, as the document type

First footnote

16. New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Set-Off (Report No 94, February 2000).

Subsequent footnotes

21. Law Reform Commission, Evidence (Report No 26, 1985) vol 1.
OR:...Evidence (Interim Report, 1985) vol 1.
NOT:...Evidence (Interim Report No 26, 1985) Vol 1.

Bibliography

New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Set-Off (Report No 94, February 2000)
Law Reform Commission, Evidence (Report No 26, 1985)

Rule 7.4 Press and media releases should be cited as follows: Author, 'Title' (Release Type Document Number, Body, Full Date) Pinpoint

General rules

Author of press or media release and the body releasing the press or media release should be included and should adhere to Rule 4.1
If author and body are the same body should be omitted.
Release type should appear as it does on the source
'Media Release' should be used as release type if it does not appear on the source and it is apparent that it is a press/media release
Document number should be included only if it appears on the release and reproduced using any abbreviations as they appear on the release and cited in accordance with rule 1.6.1
Pinpoint references should adhere to rule 1.1.6-1.1.7 - Pinpoints should generally be page numbers, and where appropriate, to paragraphs

First footnote

45. Department of Defence (Cth), 'Highest East Timorese Honour for Army Officers' (Media Release MSPA 172/09, 22 May 2009).

Subsequent footnotes

46. ASX, 'ASX Selects Distributed Ledger Technology to Replace CHESS' (Media Release, 7 December 2017) 1.

Rule 7.1.5 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Materials

When citing ABS materials, the author should be 'Australian Bureau of Statistics'.

An ABS source should be cited by reference to its catalogue number.

ABS material post 2021 without a catalogue number

Catalogue numbers are no longer published online for more recent ABS reports. Catalogue numbers do still exist but can only be obtained by calling ABS.

Should you not get a response from ABS in time to write your reference with a catalogue number we suggest adhering to the overarching AGLC4 rules of applying consistency and clarity to your references by creating a variation that still easily identifies the ABS material you are citing and maintains the same format for all ABS material you cite.

Footnote

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Corrective Services, Australia, September Quarter 2017 (Catalogue No 4512.0, 30 November 2017).

Suggested footnote where no catalogue number is available

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Partner Violence, 2021-22 Financial Year (22 November 2023) <https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/partner-violence/2021-22>.

Extrinsic materials

Extrinsic materials are documents which do not form part of an Act but can be used in court to assist in the interpretation of that Act. The Interpretation Act in each jurisdiction specifically defines what can be considered as extrinsic material un that jurisdiction. See: Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) s15AB or Interpretation Act 1984 (WA) s.19.

Rules 3.5, 1.4.1, 1.4.3, 1.4.4
All legislative materials except for Gazettes, may be given a short title. The short title may be used in text or in footnotes in subsequent citations.

Below are links to Items usually included in this definition.

Rule 3.2 Bills
Bills should be cited in the same manner as Acts, except that the title and year of the Bill should not be italicised.
'Clause' and 'sub-clause' are typically the appropriate pinpoint designations.

First footnote
1. Work Health and Safety Bill 2011 (Cth).
2. Sentencing Amendment Bill 2014 (WA) cl 4.

Bibliography

Work Health and Safety Bill 2011 (Cth)
Sentencing Amendment Bill 2014 (WA)

Rule 3.7 Explanatory Memoranda
Explanatory Memoranda (also known in the some jurisdictions as Explanatory Statements or Explanatory Notes) should be cited as follows:
Explanatory Memorandum, Bill Citation Pinpoint.
Should be replaced with 'Explanatory Statement' or 'Explanatory Note(s)' where appropriate.

First footnote
1. Explanatory Memorandum, Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2010 (Cth).

Bibliography

Explanatory Memorandum, Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Bill 2010 (Cth)

Rule 7.5.1: Parliamentary debates
Parliamentary debates (or 'Hansard') should be cited as follows:
Jurisdiction, Parliamentary Debates, Chamber, Full Date of Debate, Pinpoint (Name of Speaker)
If the speaker's name is included, their first and last names should appear.
'MP', 'MLC', 'MLA', 'Senator' and other designations indicating membership of Parliament should not be included in the speaker's name.

In-text
'The Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples'³ was a heartfelt expression of.... More recently a 'National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Sexual Abuse'⁴ statement was made in response to the Royal Commission...

First footnote
2. Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, Senate, 7 February 2017, 39 (George Brandis, Attorney General).
Not:...Senator the Hon George Brandis QC...
3. Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 14 February 2008, 608 (Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister).
4. Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 22 October 2018,19 (Scott Morrison, Prime Minister).

Bibliography
Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, Senate, 7 February 2017, 39 (George Brandis, Attorney General)
Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 14 February 2008, 608 (Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister)
Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 22 October 2018, 19 (Scott Morrison, Prime Minister)

Rule 3.9.1 Gazettes
Gazettes should be cited as follows:
Jurisdiction,Gazette Title, No Gazette Number, Full Date, Pinpoint
Author and title of the notice (if available) should be included if there are multiple notices in the same gazette or on the same page.

First footnote

1. Commonwealth, Gazette: Special, No S489, 1 December 2004.

Bibliography

Commonwealth, Gazette: Special, No S489, 1 December 2004

AGLC

Government documents

Extrinsic materials

Find & Search

Visit the Library

Contact the Library

University Quicklinks