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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.

Journal article - 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 journal article is cited in your footnotes, refer to it in full in the same format as your bibliography entry. At the end of the citation, you can pinpoint the specific page within the journal article you are referring to.

Subsequent reference: Format subsequent references to this item according to the cross-referencing rules in the NZLSG at Rule 2.3.

Example

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 name "Journal Article Title" (Year) Volume Journal Abbreviation Starting page at Optional Pinpoint Citation.

Footnote example

1 Bevan Marten “A Fairly Genuine Comment on Honest Opinion in New Zealand” (2005) 36 VUWLR 127 at 132.

Journal article - bibliography

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

Journal article title: Provide the journal article title as it appears in the original source within double quotation marks. Use spelling and capitalisation as in the original (unless the original is in all capitals, in which case capitalise only the first letter of proper nouns).

Journal abbreviation: The journal abbreviation should follow the format given in the journal but without punctuation. Refer to the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations or Legal Citations for Aotearoa New Zealand for further guidance.

Refer to NZLSG Rule 6.4. for more information on journal articles.

Refer to NZLSG Rule 6.4.4 for information about brackets around the year.

Format with a volume number 

Author name "Journal Article Title" (Year) Volume Journal Abbreviation Starting page.

Format with no volume number 

Author name "Journal Article Title" [Year] Volume Journal Abbreviation Starting page.

Examples

Petra Butler "Human Rights and Parliamentary Sovereignty in New Zealand" (2004) 35 VUWLR 341.

Matt Sumpter "Securities law enforcement" [2008] NZLJ 53.

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

Refer to NZLSG Rule 6.4.4 for information about brackets around the year.

Format with a volume number 

Author One and Two "Journal Article Title" (Year) Volume Journal Abbreviation Starting page.

Format with no volume number 

Author One and Two "Journal Article Title" [Year] Volume Journal Abbreviation Starting page.

Examples

Stephen Young, Alex Latu and Metiria Turei “Plural Legal Matters: Analysing the Overlapping Legal Materiality in Four Categories of Whakairo Māori” (2024) 31 NZULR 314.

Philipp Maume and Gordon Walker "Enforcing Financial Markets Law in New Zealand" [2013] NZ L Rev 263.

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

Refer to NZLSG Rule 6.4.4 for information about brackets around the year.

Format with a volume number 

Author One and others "Journal Article Title" (Year) Volume Journal Abbreviation Starting page.

Format with no volume number 

Author One and others "Journal Article Title" [Year] Volume Journal Abbreviation Starting page.

Examples

Bill Atkin and others "Fifty Years of New Zealand Family Law" (2013) 25 NZULR 645.

Aaron Jarden and others "Relationships between illbeing and wellbeing in the New Zealand legal profession" [2025] NZLJ 134.