How to read legal citations in Australia

Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (1992) 175 CLR 1

1. Case name Mabo v Queensland (No 2)
   The parties. (No 2) shows this was the second case between them.
2. Year in round brackets 1992
   Round brackets mean the volumes are numbered, so the year is only extra information.
3. Volume 175
   Volume 175 of the series.
4. Series CLR
   Commonwealth Law Reports, the official reports of High Court of Australia decisions.
5. First page 1
   The page where the report begins.

Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth [2003] HCA 2

1. Case name Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth
   A case name can use a reference number instead of a name when the party is protected by law.
2. Year [2003]
   The year of the judgment.
3. Court HCA
   High Court of Australia. Other examples: FCA (Federal Court) and NSWCA (New South Wales Court of Appeal).
4. Number 2
   The running number of the judgment in that court for that year.

Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 180(1)

1. Short title and year Corporations Act 2001
   The Act's name and year.
2. Jurisdiction (Cth)
   Cth means Commonwealth, the federal level. State Acts carry their own abbreviation, such as (NSW) or (Vic).
3. Section s 180(1)
   Section 180, subsection (1). This section sets directors' duty of care and diligence.

Australian Constitution s 51(xxxi)

1. Instrument Australian Constitution
   The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution, in force since 1901.
2. Section s 51(xxxi)
   Section 51 lists the Commonwealth Parliament's law-making powers, in Roman-numeral paragraphs. Paragraph (xxxi) is the power to acquire property, but only on just terms.

Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 5B

1. Short title and year Civil Liability Act 2002
   Statutes are named by short title and year.
2. Jurisdiction NSW
   New South Wales. The bracket after the title shows which government's Act it is. (Cth) is the Commonwealth; (Vic), (Qld) and so on are the states.
3. Section s 5B
   Section 5B sets out when a person is negligent: the risk must be foreseeable, not insignificant, and a reasonable person would have taken precautions.

Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520

1. Case name Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation
   The parties. The case that set out the implied freedom of political communication in defamation.
2. Year 1997
   In round brackets, because the CLR volumes are numbered, not arranged by year.
3. Volume 189
   Volume 189.
4. Report series CLR
   Commonwealth Law Reports, the official reports of the High Court of Australia.
5. First page 520
   The page where the report begins.