Global law

Swiss Institute of Comparative Law

The Swiss Institute of Comparative Law (Institut suisse de droit comparé, or ISDC) was established in Lausanne in 1982. Its primary task is to prepare legal opinions in respect of foreign law for the Federal authorities, courts, lawyers and other individuals. It also produces studies in comparative law, holds colloquia and carries out research projects. The Institute has an extensive law library, whose catalogue is available via the website. A set of legal links for countries from Afghanistan to Zambia is available on the Law Online page, annotated in English.

Basic guide to researching foreign law

Online guide to researching foreign law written by Mary Rumsey who is Foreign, Comparative & International Law Librarian at the University of Minnesota. The guide was published in 2005 and updated in 2016 on the Globalex website and is made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. The author focuses on finding the laws of countries other than the U.S and emphasises statute rather than case law.

Same-Sex Marriage: A Selective Bibliography of the Legal Literature

Online bibliography compiled by Paul Axel-Lute of the Rutgers Law Library at the Rutgers School of Law-Newark in the United States. The bibliography was first published in September 2002 and was last updated in June 2010. The emphasis is on US law and the bibliography provides references and links to materials supporting both sides of the argument. There is a brief introduction giving background and historical information to the movement for same-sex marriage and the first part of the bibliography includes web based resources and books.

World Legal Information Institute Catalog: Western Europe

This website is part of the World Legal Information Institute's Catalog of websites. Under each country there are standard headings for courts and case law, government,legislation, lawyers etc. In addition there are more detailed subject headings (Banking and Finance law or Intellectual Property, for example) which vary from country to country. It is also possible to search for terms across the whole Western European section. Suggestions for new links can be submitted by email. The site is in English, with Babel Fish Translation available.

World Legal Information Institute Catalog : Eastern Europe

This website is part of the World Legal Information Institute's Catalog of websites. Under each country there are standard headings for courts and case law, government, legislation, lawyers etc. In addition there are more detailed subject headings (Banking and Finance law or intellectual property for example) which vary from country to country. It is also possible to search for terms across the whole Eastern European section. Suggestions for new links can be submitted by email. The site is in English, with Babel Fish Translation available.

Government Gazettes Online

Global guide to government gazettes, official publications which typically contain legislation, government notices and other documents. The site is provided by the University of Michigan. For each country, it gives the title of the gazette, a description of the contents, the date range available on the web and the frequency of publication, with a link to the gazette's website.

Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations

The Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations is produced by the University of Cardiff. It is a database of abbreviations of English language and selected foreign language legal publications including law reports, law journals and major treatises. The search engine allows titles to be searched using any keywords appearing in the title of the publication and abbreviations can be searched using all or part of the abbreviation. Results provide the official abbreviation, alternative abbreviations, the ISSN and the jurisdiction to which the publication belongs.

World Anti-Doping Code

The World Anti-Doping Code is a worldwide standard for anti-doping regulations established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and is made freely available on their website. The code was originally designed in 2004 to harmonise rules and regulations regarding doping in sport across all countries and sports. Through the Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping in Sport, Governments have indicated their readiness to adopt the code. The code was updated in January 2009; further details regarding revisions are available on the site.

Ius Laboris

Ius laboris is an association for specialists in human resources law; it is based in Belgium and has member firms in over 45 countries. The site gives details of workshops and events, provides publications by members and also has a news section. The site is available in English, French and Spanish.

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