What does it mean?
Need help with legal terminology? These key resources can help clarify or define terms:
- Law Handbook (Legal Services Commission of SA)Contains an overview of the law in South Australia presented in everyday language
- Encyclopaedic Australian Legal DictionaryContains over 25,000 definitions (legal words and phrases, including references to legislation and cases) presented in an Australian context
- Halsbury's Laws of AustraliaA legal encyclopaedia providing a comprehensive overview of Australian law. Halsbury's 89 titles cover both mainstream and little known subject areas.
Where do I search?
Finding literature
The Library Collection is a good starting place. It covers some, but not all, relevant publications. It also covers every discipline. Searching a relevant database is a good way to find specific information and to ensure your search is comprehensive.
- Informit databasesCovers a wide range of areas including law, politics, the environment, Indigenous Australia, arts, history, social sciences and media.
- ProQuest Social Sciences Premium CollectionThis ProQuest collection includes key databases such as Sociological Abstracts, Worldwide Political Science Abstracts and International Bibliography of the Social Sciences.
Finding legislation
Complete this short interactive tutorial on finding Australian legislation to learn how and where to search.
Search in these key databases:
- South Australian LegislationAccess to South Australian legislation and includes information about the creation, variation or cessation of legislation. Updated every weekday.
- Subject Index to South Australian LegislationProvides a subject index to SA Acts and incorporates links to the South Australian Legislation website.
- LawlexCan search concurrently across all the State, Territory and Commonwealth legislation websites, with links to associated legislative material such as bills, subordinate legislation, second reading speeches and gazette notices.
- Department of Social Services (Commonwealth) - LegislationAccess legislation relating to the Department and its portfolio. Includes Guides to Paid Parental Leave, Social Security Law, Family Assistance, and Child Support.
- Parliamentary Library - Family LawLists links to key documents in the area of federal family law.
Help with legal research
The Law Research Guide has been designed to teach basic legal research skills and teach you how to find legal information to use in your studies.
How do I find reports and statistics?
Search tip: use Google to search across multiple Australian, state, territory and local government websites by including site:gov.au (or site:sa.gov.au to limit to South Australian bodies) in your search e.g.
Search these key websites to find reports and statsitics:
- Australian Human Rights CommissionIndependent statutory body that reports to the federal parliament; formally the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
- Australian Institute of CriminologyAustralia's national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice.
- Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)Australia's foremost centre for research and information on family wellbeing.
- AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and WelfareLeading health and welfare statistics agency in Australia.
- Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS)Independent, not for profit organisation established to produce evidence to support the reduction of violence against women and their children.
- Crime and justice data South AustraliaData regarding crime in South Australia gathered from different government agencies.
Where do I find information on Courts and Community Legal Centres
Finding information about courts
- Courts Administration Authority of South Australia (State)Information about the courts and links to relevant legislation.
- The Federal Circuit and Family Court of AustraliaThe Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is a single point of entry for all family law matters in Australia
- Beyond common knowledge: Reviewing the use of social science evidence in Australian courtsThis 2019 article from the University of Queensland Law Journal comments on three ways social facts are used in the course of judicial decision making.
- Caring for Families in Court: An Essential Approach to Family JusticeThis 2019 book looks at family justice from an international perspective.
Finding information about community legal centres
- National Association of Community Legal CentresWebsite of the association of state community legal centre organisations in Australia.
- Access to Justice Arrangements: submission to the Productivity Commission2013 - prepared by a number of the peak organisations for Australia’s community legal centres in response to the Productivity Commission’s Access to Justice Issues Paper. Covers the nature, activities, role and funding of community legal centres.
- Access to Justice Arrangements: inquiry report2014 - report by the Commonwealth Productivity Commission on its 'inquiry into Australia's system of civil dispute resolution, with a focus on constraining costs and promoting access to justice and equality before the law'.