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NZLSG

NZLSG (New Zealand Law Style Guide) is a footnote referencing style requiring an in-text citation, a related footnote within the text, plus a related entry in a bibliography at the end of your document.

Book - In-text citations & footnotes

Footnote number: Put a footnote number in superscript font size ten within the text (in-text citation) to show when you are using another person's ideas or words. This number directs the reader to a footnote at the bottom of the page, containing information about the work you are citing.

Footnote citation: The first time a book is cited in your footnotes, refer to it in full in the same format as your bibliography entry.

Pinpoint reference: After the starting page of the chapter, an optional pinpoint reference to a page or a paragraph number can follow this. Paragraph numbers are enclosed within square brackets.  When referring to a numbered chapter of a book, “chapter” is abbreviated to “ch”.

Subsequent references: Any subsequent references to this item may be formatted according to the cross-referencing rules in the NZLSG at Rule 2.3.

See NZLSG Rule 2.2 for more footnote formatting information.

In-text citation

Whether the “public opinion” element still remains as part of the honest opinion defence is a matter of debate.1

Footnote format

Author Book Title (Edition, Publisher, Place of Publication, Year of Publication) at Optional Pinpoint Citation.

Footnote examples

David McGee Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand (3rd ed, Dunmore Publishing, Wellington, 2005) at 30.

Peter Spiller The Disputes Tribunals of New Zealand (2nd ed, Brookers, Wellington, 2003) at ch 1.

Book - bibliography

Order: Books should be listed alphabetically by author's surname (last name) in the format First name Surname. Books should NOT be categorised by jurisdiction.  

Books are cited in accordance with NZLSG Rule 6.1.
For more information on bibliography format and style, see General information - basics of referencing

Format

Author Name Book Title (Edition, Publisher, Place of Publication, Year of Publication).

Example

David McGee Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand (3rd ed, Dunmore Publishing, Wellington, 2005).

Follow NZLSG Rule 6.1.2(e) for citing journal articles with multiple joint authors.

Format 

Author One and Author Two Book Title (Edition, Publisher, Place of Publication, Year of Publication).

Example

AP Simester and WJ Brookbanks Principles of Criminal Law (5th ed, Thomson Reuters NZ, Wellington, 2019).

Follow NZLSG Rule 6.1.2(e) for citing journal articles with multiple joint authors.

Format 

Author One, Author Two and Author Three Book Title (Edition, Publisher, Place of Publication, Year of Publication).

Example

Anthony Taubman, Hannu Wager and Jayashree Watal A Handbook on the WTO TRIPS Agreement (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2012).

Follow NZLSG Rule 6.1.2(e) for citing journal articles with multiple joint authors.

Format 

Author One and others Book Title (Edition, Publisher, Place of Publication, Year of Publication).

Example

Alan L Tyree and others Tyree's Banking Law in New Zealand (3rd ed, LexisNexis NZ, Wellington, 2014).

If the author is unknown, place the title in the author's position.

Format

Book Title (Edition, Publisher, Place of Publication, Year of Publication).

Examples

Prenuptial Agreements in Modern Relationships (Brownstone Press, Wellington, 2014).

Follow NZLSG Rule 6.1.2(g) for citing books with editors.

Place the editor's name where the author would normally appear, followed by (ed) or (eds).

Format

Editor's Name (ed) Book Title (Edition, Publisher, Place of Publication, Year of Publication). 

Example

Stephen Todd (ed) The Law of Torts in New Zealand (9th ed, Thomson Reuters NZ, Wellington, 2023).

Michael Littlewood and Janet McLean (eds) The New Zealand Supreme Court: The Second Ten Years (LexisNexis NZ, Wellington, 2024).

If the e-book is also available in hardcopy format, reference it as if it was a hardcopy book. (Refer to NZLSG Rule 6.1)

If the e-book is only available in electronic format, follow NZLSG Rule 6.1.9 as closely as possible and include eBook ed after the edition number and before the publisher's name. Omit the place of publication.

Format - ebook (available only in electronic format)

Author Name Book Title (Edition, eBook ed, Publisher, Year of Publication).

Example

Harsha Bhatia Team Formation, Development and High Performance (eBook ed, SmashWords, 2019).