Legal Research + Writing: Finding Case Law

The following databases are the most efficient tools for finding relevant Canadian case law online:

CanLII

CanLII offers free, open access to written judgments from all Canadian courts, boards and tribunals. Access consolidated statutes and regulations of every Canadian jurisdiction, as well historic legislative materials, such as The Manitoba Gazette.

Some texts, journal articles and legal commentary are available through the Commentary and CanLII Connects portals.

View CanLII's Guides for instructions on how to search for cases, legislative materials, and more.

Lexis+ Canada

Lexis+ is a legal research database that provides access to Canadian and international case law, legislative materials and academic commentary, including the Halsbury's Laws of Canada and many other legal texts.

View Lexis+ Legal Research help video or download their Law Student Quick Reference Guide.

• All UM students and faculty can access Lexis+ via the Databases A-Z list on the UM Libraries Homepage.
• Robson Hall students and faculty can access their personal accounts directly on the Lexis+ homepage.

WestlawNext Canada

Westlaw is a legal research database that indexes Canadian and international case law, legislative materials and academic commentary, including the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (CED) and the Index to Canadian Legal Literature, among many others.

View Westlaw's Customer Learning Centre for guides on how to search for cases.

• All UM students and faculty may access the following Westlaw products via the Databases A-Z list on the UM Libraries Homepage:
  • CriminalSource
  • EmploymentSource
  • LabourSource
  • eReference Library on Proview (provides electronic access to loose-leaf services)
  • Environmental Offences Sentencing Quantum Service
• Robson Hall students and faculty can access their personal accounts directly at the WestlawNext Canada homepage.

Case Reporters - Books that contain judicial decisions from a variety of courts and jurisdictions. Reporters remain the best resource for retrieving jurisprudence in print. Titles available at the E.K. Williams Law Library include:

The Supreme Court Reports

The Federal Court Reports

Dominion Law Reports

Western Weekly Reports

Canadian Criminal Cases

Manitoba Reports
 

Legal Encyclopedias - A great resource to find case law, especially by topic or subject matter. The E.K. Williams Law Library provides access to both the Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (CED) and Halsbury's Laws of Canada in print.
 

Words and Phrases - Using a Words and Phrases service can help identify case law that has interpreted or defined a particular legal term.

Donna Sikorsky