AGLC4 is a footnoting style. Part 1 General Rules outlines footnoting rules.
Footnotes should be used to:
This is a summary. For a more detailed list of rules, see Rule 1.1 General Format of Footnotes.
All sources must be referenced in full the first time that they are cited.
In AGLC, there are two different ways to indicate a subsequent reference:
For complete guidelines, refer to Rules 1.4 to 1.4.4.
A shortened version of the ibidem, ibid means 'in the same book, passage etc.' 1, and should be used when referring to the immediately preceding footnote.
The pinpoint is not repeated (after the word ibid) if identical to the pinpoint in the immediately preceding footnote (see footnote 2 below). However, if you are referring to the same source but a different page, you will need to include the pinpoint (see footnote 3 below).
Ibid applies regardless of whether the preceding footnote is a full citation or an abbreviated version.
Use Rule 1.4.1 (n Footnote Number) instead of ibid when:
The full rules to ibid can be found at Rule 1.4.3 in AGLC4 (page 11).
Example:
1 R W Burchfield, The New Fowler's Modern English Usage (Oxford University Press, 3rd ed, 1996) 373.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid 375.
To cite a previously referenced source that is not in the immediately preceding footnote, you can use a shortened form of the citation (called a short title) along with a cross-reference (in brackets) to the initial footnote number where the full citation is provided.
Short titles are enclosed in (non-italic) inverted commas as well as brackets, for example, ('Short Title'), and are located at the end of the initial citation.
Click on the tabbed boxes below to see examples of subsequent references of cases, legislation and secondary sources using both 'ibid' and '(n Footnote Number)'.
For subsequent footnotes of case, where ibid does not apply, use the case name or the short title of the case, followed by the footnote number and the pinpoint.
For cases, the short title should generally be
Shortened titles of cases are formatted in italics, and appear in single inverted commas and brackets at the end of the initial citation.
| Case Name or Short title of case | (n Footnote Number) | Pinpoint. |
|---|---|---|
| Wentworth v Rogers [No 5] | (n 45) | 4 (Kirby P). |
1 Wik Peoples v Queensland (1996) 187 CLR 1 ('Wik'). [Full initial citation with short title of the case at the end.]
2 McGinty v Western Australia (1996) 186 CLR 140, 232 (McHugh J) (‘McGinty’). [Full initial citation with short title of case (formatted in italics) at the end.]
3 Ibid. [Citing the immediately preceding footnote including its pinpoint '232 (McHugh J)'.]
4 Wik (n 1) 2. [Citing the same case in footnote 1 (n 1), with a pinpoint (to page 2).]
5 McGinty (n 2) 142. [Citing the same case in footnote 2 (n 2) with a different pinpoint (to page 142).]
For subsequent footnotes of legislation, where ibid does not apply, use the short title of the Act, followed by the footnote number and the pinpoint.
A further shortened title of an Act, piece of delegated legisation or Bill may be provided after the initial citation and used in subsequent references (Rule 3.5). This may also be given to a portion of an Act, piece of delegated legislation or a bill (Rule 3.1.7).
Shortened titles are formatted in italics, and appear in single inverted commas and brackets at the end of the initial citation.
| Short Title of Act | (n Footnote Number) | Pinpoint. |
|---|---|---|
| Competition and Consumer Act | (n 12) | s 131. |
Examples:
1 Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) (‘ADJR Act’). [Full initial citation with short title.]
2 Ibid s 4. [Citing the immediately preceding footnote, with a pinpoint to section 4.]
3 Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) sch 2 ('Australian Consumer Law'). [Initial citation with short title to portion of the Act.]
4 ADJR Act (n 1) s 4. [Citing the same Act in footnote 1 (n 1) using the short title ADJR Act and with a pinpoint.]
5 Ibid. [The immediately preceding footnote including its pinpoint is cited.]
6 Australian Consumer Law (n 3) s 3. [The short title to the portion of the Act (sch 2) referred to in footnote 3 (n 3) is footnoted with a pinpoint to a particular section in the schedule.]
Use the author/s surname followed by the footnote number and the pinpoint in subsequent footnotes of sources (where ibid does not apply).
Where the source has no author, the title or short title is used instead of author surname.
| Author/s Surname | (n Footnote Number) | Pinpoint. |
|---|---|---|
| Shaw | (n 23) | 23-8. |
Examples:
1 James Edelman and Elise Bant, Unjust Enrichment (Hart Publishing, 2nd ed, 2016) 58. [Full initial citation.]
2 Ibid. [Footnote referencing the immediately preceding source as well as its pinpoint (page 58).]
3 David J Townsend et al, 'The Journey to the Bar' [2024] (180) Precedent 28, 30. [Full initial citation.]
4 Edelman and Bant (n 1) 10-8. [Citing the source in footnote 1 (n 1), with a new pinpoint (pages 10-18).]
5 Townsend et al (n 3) 33-5. [Citing the source in footnote 3 (n 3), with a new pinpoint (pages 33-5).]
Bibliography rules are outlined in Rule 1.13.
The Bibliography may be divided into sections: