AGLC4 uses footnotes rather than in-text citations, and requires a pinpoint to the exact page or paragraph for every proposition. Cases are cited as Party v Party (Year) Volume Report Page, with square brackets for reports organised by year and round brackets for those organised by volume.
Cases
The bracket choice is the first thing markers check. Square brackets when the year is essential to locating the report; round brackets when the volume number does the work.
Mabo v Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 CLR 1, 42.
Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 158 CLR 1, 128 (Mason J).
Unreported with a medium neutral citation:
Smith v Jones [2024] HCA 12, [37].
Pinpoints follow the citation after a comma. For older reports use page numbers; for medium neutral citations use paragraph numbers in square brackets. Naming the judge in parentheses is required when you attribute a proposition to a particular judgment.
Legislation
Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) s 18.
Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) s 322K(2)(a).
Bills drop the italics: Fair Work Amendment Bill 2024 (Cth) cl 12.
The jurisdiction in parentheses is not optional. Section is 's', sections is 'ss', and there is no full stop after either.
Journal Articles
Jane Smith, 'The Limits of Directors' Duties' (2023) 47(2) Melbourne University Law Review 312, 318.
Author in full as it appears, article title in single quotation marks, year in round brackets, volume and issue, journal in italics, starting page then pinpoint.
Books
Paul Latimer, Australian Business Law (CCH Australia, 36th ed, 2023) 415.
Subsequent References
AGLC4 removed op cit and loc cit. Use a short form after the first full citation, and Ibid only for the immediately preceding footnote.
1 Mabo v Queensland [No 2] (1992) 175 CLR 1, 42.
2 Ibid 45.
3 Smith (n 1) 318.
'(n 1)' refers to footnote 1 where the source was first given in full.
The Four Errors That Cost Marks
- Missing pinpoints. A citation without a pinpoint tells the reader a case exists, not where your proposition comes from. This is the most penalised AGLC error.
- Wrong brackets. Square where round belongs signals you copied the citation without understanding the report series.
- In-text citation. AGLC is a footnoting style. Author-date parentheses in the body is an immediate flag.
- Punctuation in footnotes. Every footnote ends with a full stop. Cross-references do not carry commas before the pinpoint.
Bibliography Structure
Divide into A Articles/Books/Reports, B Cases, C Legislation, D Treaties, E Other, each alphabetical. In the bibliography — unlike footnotes — authors are inverted: Smith, Jane.
A Note on AI-Generated Citations
Generative tools produce case citations that look impeccable and do not exist, complete with plausible parties, courts and report references. Law schools check. Verify every case in AustLII or your library database before it goes in a footnote — a fabricated authority is treated far more seriously than a formatting error.
Frequently asked questions
Does AGLC use in-text citations?
No. AGLC4 is a footnoting style: every citation goes in a footnote, and there are no author-date parentheses in the body of the text. Using in-text citation is one of the clearest signals to an Australian law marker that the style guide has not been followed.
When do I use square brackets versus round brackets in a case citation?
Square brackets when the year is essential to finding the report, as in [2024] HCA 12. Round brackets when the volume number locates it, as in (1992) 175 CLR 1. Getting this wrong is a common and easily avoided error.
What is a pinpoint in AGLC?
A pinpoint is the exact page or paragraph supporting your proposition, placed after the citation and a comma. Older reports take page numbers; medium neutral citations take paragraph numbers in square brackets. Omitting pinpoints is the most heavily penalised AGLC error.
Is op cit still used in AGLC4?
No. AGLC4 removed op cit and loc cit. Use Ibid only for the footnote immediately preceding, and otherwise a short form with the original footnote number in the format Smith (n 1) 318.
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