Reference sources

Constitution Annotated

Website of the "Constitution Annotated" ("Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation"), a guide to interpretation of the US Constitution, provided by the Library of Congress. The site includes a searchable table of cases, Supreme Court decisions overruled by subsequent decisions, biographies of Supreme Court justices and other resources compiled by the Congressional Research Service. A complete, searchable copy of the Constitution is also given on the site. 

Brexit: Research and Analysis

This part of the UK Parliament website provides information on Brexit compiled by Parliament's libraries and committees. Briefing papers and articles, written by experts, are provided on the site covering the Brexit process, the withdrawal negotiations and role of Parliament in the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. There are also sections providing research on the implications of Brexit for UK trade, business, the law, defence, farming, the environment and social policy. 

Full Fact: Law

This page of the Full Fact website provides information and clarification on aspects of the law in the UK and investigates claims made in the media and by government. The site checks facts relating to, among other topics, claims made about hate crime, and clarifies various rules, including those regarding the wearing of burkas and niqabs in the UK. There are articles explaining the World Trade Organisation and the EU referendum, along with sections dealing with Brexit and the law, access to justice, criminal law and family law.

Brexit Legal (An Irish Guide)

Brexit Legal is a guide for Irish businesses, compiled by Irish law firm, McMahon Legal. It covers customs procedures and forms, rules of origin, free movement and the EU customs code. There is a section on Brexit issues relating to Northern Ireland and background information on EU law and EU institutions.

Computer Evidence

The Computer Evidence website provides information on cases relating to the Computer Misuse Act 1990. It is compiled by Michael J L Turner, a forensic computer examiner and expert witness on computer evidence. The table of cases includes the name of the case, date and court details where the case was heard, a brief description of the case and links to media coverage. The site also includes details of other services provided by Michael J L Turner.

Interinstitutional register of delegated acts

Online register tracking the progress of EU delegated acts (a type of subsidiary legislation) and providing access to associated documents. Users can search planned delegated acts to see which procedural stage has been reached and download associated documents, such as draft delegated acts, meeting agendas and meeting minutes; search results can be filtered by policy area, status and other criteria. A list of delegated acts is also available, together with a list of the legislative acts to which they relate; these can also be filtered.

UN Women's Family Law Database

This database maps laws from around the world relating to women’s status in the family and society. Launched in July 2018, it is under development by the Global Women's Leadership Project (GWLP) at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, in association with UN Women. In its first phase the database covers the laws of African, European and Latin American jurisdictions as well as Israel, India and Pakistan; work is continuing on Middle Eastern jurisdictions.

WTO Guide to Documentation

Guide to WTO and GATT documentation, produced by the World Trade Organization’s Information Management Service. Explains how WTO/GATT documentation is organised and gives details of official document references, or ‘symbols’; also covers sales publications (as opposed to official documents). Gives an overview of key titles, such as Basic Instruments and Selected Documents and the Analytical Index to WTO dispute cases, with links to online versions (where available). Provides indexes and schedules, including a full list of all document symbols.

Register of Commission Expert Groups and Other Similar Entities

Searchable directory cover the groups of experts and similar bodies that are involved in the preparation of EU policy initiatives, legislative proposals and delegated / implementing acts. There are basic and advanced search facilities and for each group the register gives basic details, documents and other information. The Register is provided by the European Commission. It is accompanied by a meeting schedule, news items and background information about the use of expert groups by the EU.

European Parliament Public Register of Documents

Online register of internal European Parliament (EP) documents. Though launched in June 2002, it covers documents from the around the late-1990s onwards. The Public Register is searchable by key word, author, document type, reference number and other criteria. Many of the documents are available in full; where this is not the case members of the public can apply for access via the Request a Document page. The Public Register website also provides the European Parliament’s annual reports and resolutions on public access to documents, from 2002 onwards.

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