Key law databases subscribed by the Library.
This database provides a comprehensive collection of legal materials, and contains major publications including Hong Kong Cases, Hong Kong Cases Unreported, and Hong Kong Family Law Reports, etc.
To get started with Lexis+, refer to the Quick Guide (login is required), Search Guide, or watch the Workshop Recording (login is required).
This database contains Hong Kong case law, legislation, commentaries, and law books on a variety of legal topics. It offers a collection of Hong Kong cases on different legal topics, e.g. admiralty and maritime law, alternative dispute resolution, banking, finance, and insolvency law, company law, intellectual property law, etc.
To browse cases by legal topics, go to PrimeLaw and choose HK Cases at the top menu bar; or refer to the Search Guide for more guidance.
This database provides an extensive coverage on primary and secondary legal materials, and contains major publications including The Authorized Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Reports, Hong Kong Law Reports, The Authorized Hong Kong Law Reports and Digest, etc.
To learn more about Westlaw Asia, refer to the Thomson Reuters' Training & Support webpage or watch the Workshop Recording (login is required).
Law reports are issued by legal publishers. Included in law reports are cases which are considered with significant legal values. Editors add catchwords and headnotes at top of the original judgments. Law reports are in print or / and electronic format.
Catchwords: Descriptive words or phrases used to categorize the subject matter of a case.
Headnotes: A summary describing the essential facts of the case and the principle(s) of law whtich the case establishes.
Major law reports
Hong Kong Cases (HKC)
It is a complete series of law reports that covers court decisions dating back to 1842 when common law was first applied in Hong Kong.
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR6.3 .H65
Electronic: Lexis+ Hong Kong
The Authorized Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Reports (HKCFAR)
It contains all judgments from the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal since 1997 with bilingual (Chinese and English) headnotes.
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR2.2 .A21999
Electronic: Westlaw Asia
The Authorized Hong Kong Law Reports and Digest (HKLRD)
It contains cases from 1997 onwards that are selected by the Hon. Mr. Justice Bokhary GBM, NPJ, General Editor. "Authorized" indicates that this report is endorsed by the Judiciary.
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR2.23.A2 H66
Electronic: Westlaw Asia
The Hong Kong Law Reports (HKLR)
It contains cases of the Supreme Court from 1905 - 1996, and carried on as The Authorized Hong Kong Law Reports and Digest starting from 1997.
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR2.23.A2 H66
Electronic: Westlaw Asia
The following law reports were published as a supplement to the Hong Kong Law Reports:
Hong Kong Criminal Law Reports (HKCLR)
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR379.5.A48 H66 (1992 - 1995)
Electronic: Westlaw Asia (1992 - 1996)
Hong Kong District Court Law Reports (HKDCLR)
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR2.23.A2 H67 (1953 - 1995)
Electronic: Westlaw Asia (1953 - 1996)
Hong Kong Lands Tribunal Law Reports (HKLTLR)
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR66 .A49 (1977 - 1980)
Electronic: Westlaw Asia (1977 - 1979)
Other law reports
Hong Kong Chinese Law Reports and Translation (HKCLRT)
Electronic: Westlaw Asia (1995 - 2008)
Hong Kong Conveyancing and Property Reports (CPR)
It covers conveyancing and property decisions from all Hong Kong courts from 1980.
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR71.3.A57 H6
Hong Kong Family Law Reports (HKFLR)
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR54.A48 H66 (2005 - 2019)
Electronic: Lexis+ Hong Kong (2005 - present)
Hong Kong Public Law Reports (HKPLR)
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR169.5.A57 H66 (1991 - present)
Hong Kong Tax Cases (HKTC)
Location (print): Law Primary Source lpr KNR275.A48 H64
Law digest and yearbook
Hong Kong Law Digest (HKLD)
It has merged with the Hong Kong Law Reports to form the Authorized Hong Kong Law Reports and Digest.
Location (print): Law primary source lpr KNR2.23.A2 H64 (1989 - 1996)
Hong Kong Law Digest Yearbook (HKLDY)
It contains the annual cumulation of the Hong Kong Law Digest.
Location (print): Law primary source lpr KNR2.23.A2 H65 (1994 - 1996)
Hong Kong Law Yearbook (HKLY)
It contains the annual cumulation of the Hong Kong Law Digest, continued by the Hong Kong Law Digest Yearbook.
Location (print): Law primary source lpr KNR2.23.A2 H65 (1985 - 1993)
Law reports in print format
Print volumes are shelved in the Library's Law Primary Source area, by call number.
Law reports in online format
Law reports in online format are available from library subscribed databases. Access the databases through the library web page, Databases by Subject - Law.
Looking for a particular law report?
To check if our Library provides a specific law report, use the search tool, CityU LibraryFind. Select the Title field, enter the complete title of the law report (not the abbreviated title). If the law report is in our library, you will be directed to the location of the print volume or the database(s) that hosts the online version.
Unreported judgments
They represent the first version of a court decision that are made available through the associated court / court administration website. Very recent cases are normally not available from law reports until later.
Unreported judgments are available from the following sources:
This is the official website of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Judiciary. It provides the original decisions from the judges. Please note that not all judgments are available from the Judiciary website. Judgments can be retrieved with a case number or the parties' names.
This database is produced and maintained by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. It contains court cases related to the Basic Law that were extracted from "Hong Kong Basic Law: Case Studies (1997-2010) (Articles 1-42)" and "Hong Kong Basic Law: Case Studies (1997-2010) (Articles 43-160)". Only Chinese version of the court cases is available.
Inland Revenue Board of Review - Decisions
Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal - Determination/ Reasons for Determination