Australian Case Law

Queensland cases

The authorised report series for the Supreme Court of Queensland are:

• Queensland Reports - 1957 - current. Available via Queensland Judgments, Lexis+ Australia, Westlaw Australia 

• State Reports, Queensland: 1902 - 1957. Available via Queensland Judgments, Westlaw Australia

The Law Library holds both series in hard copy:

• Queensland Reports - 1957 - current Catalogue record

• State Reports, Queensland: 1902 - 1957  Catalogue record

Prior to 1902

Several other 'non-authorised' report series contain Queensland cases. These are available in hardcopy via the Law Library. 

• Queensland Supreme Court Reports (vols 1-5) -  1859 - 1881 Catalogue Record

• Queensland Law Reports (vols 1-3) - 1876 - 1878 Catalogue Record

• Queensland Law Journal Reports (vols 1-11) - 1881 - 1901) Catalogue Record

Citing case law

By convention, the authorised report of a judgment is the preferred mode of citation. 

In a number of Queensland courts, this convention has been formalised by a complementary set of Practice Directions:

• Supreme Court of Queensland – Practice Direction 16 of 2013.
• District Court of Queensland – Practice Direction 11 of 2013.
• Planning and Environment Court – Practice Direction 12 of 2013.

• For more information on the 'authority' of the Queensland Reports, and the rationale for the use of authorised reports in general, see the information on the Queensland Reports website.

Unreported decisions are court judgments that have not been reported in a law report series.

These are available via:

Queensland Judgments: Open access website with case law from 1902 onwards. The site also identifies judgments recently selected for reporting.  

AustLII, Jade, Westlaw Australia, Lexis+ Australia and the Queensland Law Reporter (database links below) all provide access to unreported judgments from Queensland courts.

Note: The Queensland Law Reporter (1980 onwards) is a weekly supplement to the Queensland Reports and includes updates of the most significant developments in Queensland statute and case law.

AustLII and Jade coverage 

• Supreme Court of Queensland: 1994 - current

• Supreme court of Queensland - Court of Appeal: 1992 - current

Lower courts

• District Court of Queensland: 1998 - 

• Children's Court of Queensland: 2004 - 

• Coroners Court of Queensland: 2004 - (AustLII only)

• Industrial Court of Queensland: 2014 - 

• Queensland Industrial Court: 1999 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Industrial Relations Commission 2014 - 

• Land Court of Queensland: 1989 - (AustLII only)

• Land Appeal Court of Queensland: 1985 - (AustLII only)

• Magistrates Court of Queensland: 2006 - 

• Queensland Mental Health Court: 2002 -

• Queensland Planning and Environment Court: 1999 - (AustLII only)

• Anti-Discrimination Tribunal Queensland: 1992 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Land and Resources Tribunal of Queensland: 2000 - 2007 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Building Tribunal: 1994 - 2003 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Body Corporate & Community Management Commissioner - Adjudicators Orders: 2000 - (AustLII only)

• Queensland Children Services Tribunal: 2003 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal: 2009 - 

• Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Appeals: 2010 - 

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Architects List: 2004 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Body Corporate and Community Management List: 2007 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Building List: 2003 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Engineers List: 2003 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Gaming List: 2004 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Liquor List: 2003 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Manufactured Homes List: 2004 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Plumbers and Drainers List: 2004 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Property Agents and Motor Dealers List: 2003 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Commercial and Consumer Tribunal - Retirement Villages List: 2003 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Guardianship and Administration Tribunal: 2000 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Industrial Gazettes: 1915 - 1950 

• Queensland Industrial Relations Commission: 1999 - 2014 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Industrial Relations Commission: 2014 - 

• Queensland Information Commissioner: 1993 - 

• Queensland Legal Practice Tribunal: 2004 - 2009 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Liquor Appeals Tribunal: 1992-2003 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Mining Wardens: 1993 - 2000 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Nursing Tribunal: 2004 - (AustLII only)

• Queensland Property Agents and Motor Dealers Tribunal: 2002 - 2003 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Racing Appeals Authority: 2002 - 2003 (AustLII only)

• Queensland Retirement Villages Tribunal: 2001 - 2002 (AustLII only)

• Racing Appeals Tribunal of Queensland: 2003 - 2009 (AustLII only)