Legal Information Skills

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Finding Legislation online

Current versions of full-text legislation available at Macquarie University Library can be accessed via the Library databases. To locate follow the pathway:

From the Library Homepage (http://www.library.mq.edu.au)
Select Databases
Then Law from the Browse Databases by Subject option

Listed databases include:

AustLII (http://www.austlii.edu.au ) gives access to the full text of current legislation for all states and territories.

LawLex (http://research.lawlex.com.au) gives access to the full text of current legislation for all states and territories. In addition, LawLex has a premium research facility that gives access to additional material such as Bills, explanatory memoranda, lists of amendments to the principal Act (and citing the affected section(s)), commencement information and links to the governing department. The premium research option is password protected. The login and password are available from the Reference Desk on Level 3 of the Library for Macquarie staff and students.

TimeBase Legislation with Case Link (http://legislation.timebase.com.au/Home.aspx/) - access to current and repeated legislation of seven Australian jurisdictions. TimeBase also connects sections of legislation to case references.

Finding Legislation on the Web Exercise

Access AustLII (http://www.austlii.edu.au).

Select New South Wales from the list of jurisdictions on the main homepage, then NSW Consolidated Acts.
Access the Freedom of Information Act 1989 (NSW).

There are two ways you can do this:

EITHER: from the NSW Consolidated Legislation page select the Act Name Search option. Enter the Act name in the search query box.

OR: from the NSW Consolidated Legislation page select the Alphabetical List option and browse the listing of Acts whose titles begin with F.

Load the Table of Provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1989 (NSW) and use to answer the following questions:

1. One of the sections has the title: "Availability of certain documents". What is the section number?

i) section 12
ii) section 15
iii) section 5
iv) section 20

2. From the Table of Provisions screen select the [Notes] option. Scroll down to the heading Historical Notes. What was the date of commencement of this Act? Was it:

i) 21.3.1989
ii) 12.9.1991
iii) 1.7.1989
iv) 1.4.1989

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