General Rules
4 Short Forms
Overview
Legal writing often references key cases and legislation multiple times in a single document. Short forms streamline citations by preventing unnecessary repetition and improving the flow of the text. They allow writers to consistently refer to a source without reintroducing its full citation, ensuring concise, clear references. They allow readers to quickly recognize repeated sources without rereading lengthy references. Short forms provide a reliable reference point that remains consistent throughout a document.
The following rules apply to short forms:
- Short forms are a shortened version of a case name, statute title, author’s name, or document title.
- Short forms are established in square brackets at the end of the first full citation to a source. All subsequent citations to the same source will use the short form instead of repeating the full citation.
- Short forms for cases and legislation must be italicized.
- Short forms can be used either in the body text of your writing or in the footnote citation. Do not use the short form both in-text and in the citation.
- Short forms must be unique to avoid confusion for the reader.
- Facta require short forms for all sources cited.
- Memorandums only require short forms for sources that are referred to multiple times. If a source is only referenced once it does not require a short form.
Cases
When making a short form for case names, use a portion of the style of cause.
Short forms for cases are always italicized.
Short forms for a case are typically a party surname, name of a company or government department, common abbreviation, or other notable and unique part of the style of cause.
Examples: Case Short Forms
Short forms are highlighted in orange.
Party surname:
- Waterfield v Tazzman, 2017 SCC 23 at 92 [Waterfield].
Party initials:
- TLP v RJS, 1993 CanLII 16986 (NS FC) [TP].
Common abbreviation:
- Canadian Broadcasting Corp v Canada (AG), 2011 SCC 2 at 32 [CBC].
Company name:
- Vern’s Pizza Company Ltd v 101011333 Saskatchewan Ltd, 2024 SKKB 147 [Vern’s Pizza].
Distinguishing decisions from history of case:
- Catalyst Paper Corp v North Cowichan, 2012 SCC 2 [Catalyst SCC].
- Catalyst Paper Corp v North Cowichan, 2010 BCCA 199 [Catalyst BCCA].
Legislation
When making a short form for a statute use the official short title. If the statute does not have an official short title or the official short title is more than 3 words, create a short form that clearly identifies the statute or use a recognized abbreviation.
If an Act has an official short title it will be found in section 1 of the Act.
Short forms for legislation are always italicized.
Examples: Legislation Short Forms
Short forms are highlighted in orange.
Official Short Title:
- Official short title: Marriage Act
- Full citation with short form: Marriage Act, SNL 2009, c M-1.02 [Marriage Act].
Create distinctive short form
- Official short title: Split Lake Cree First Nation Flooded Land Act
- Create short form = [Split Lake Act]
- Full citation with short form: Split Lake Cree First Nation Flooded Land Act, SC 1994, c 42 [Split Lake Act].
Common Abbreviations:
These are not full citations. These examples display commonly used short forms for specific statutes.
- Income Tax Act = [ITA]
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act = [CEPA]
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act = [IRPA]
- Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act = [PIPEDA]
- An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Telecommunications Act = [CASL]
Secondary Sources
It is not necessary to create a short form for secondary sources. Subsequent references to the source will use the author’s surname.
Author’s names are not italicized for a short form.
Commonly cited traditional secondary sources include books, loose-leafs, and journal articles.
Examples: Secondary Source Short Forms
Short forms are highlighted in orange.
Single author:
- Full citation: Alice Woolley, Understanding Lawyers’ Ethics in Canada (Markham, Ont: LexisNexis, 2011) at 277.
- Subsequent citation: Woolley, supra note x at x.
Two authors:
- Full citation: Julien D Payne & Marilyn A Payne, Canadian Family Law, 2nd ed (Toronto: Irwin Law, 2017).
- Subsequent citation: Payne & Payne, supra note x at x.
Multiple authors:
- Complete list of authors: Sharryn Aiken, Colin Grey, Catherine Dauvergne, Jamie Chai Yun Liew, Gerald Heckman, and Constance MacIntosh
- Full citation: Sharryn Aiken, et al, Immigration and Refugee Law: Cases, Materials, and Commentary, 3rd ed (Toronto: Emond Montgomery Ltd, 2020).
- Subsequent citation: Aiken, et al, supra note x at x.
Grey Literature
There are many document types beyond the scope of traditional secondary sources that require citation. These are known as grey literature. See the section on Secondary Sources for more information on grey literature.
If a grey source has a human author, follow the rules for secondary sources (above).
If a grey source has a government, institution, or organisation as an author, use a unique and distinctive part of the title of the document.
The title should not be italicized in the short form.
Examples: Grey Literature Short Forms
Short forms are highlighted in orange.
Annual report from institution:
- Full McGill citation with short form: Royal Bank of Canada, “First Quarter 2024” (28 August 2024), online (pdf): <rbc.com/investor-relations/_assets-custom/pdf/2024q1_report.pdf> [RBC First Quarter].
- Full COAL citation with short form: Royal Bank of Canada, “First Quarter 2024” (28 August 2024) rbc.com/investor-relations/_assets-custom/pdf/2024q1_report.pdf> [RBC First Quarter].
- Subsequent citation: RBC First Quarter, supra note x.
Government consultation report:
- Full McGill citation with short form: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, “Future of Canada’s Competition Policy Consultation – What We Heart Report” (last modified 20 September 2023), online: <ised-isde.canada.ca/site/strategic-policy-sector/en/marketplace-framework-policy/competition-policy/consultation-future-competition-policy-canada/future-canadas-competition-policy-consultation-what-we-heard-report> [ISED Competition Consultation].
- Full COAL citation with short form: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, “Future of Canada’s Competition Policy Consultation – What We Heart Report” (modified 20 September 2023) ised-isde.canada.ca [ISED Competition Consultation].
- Subsequent citation: ISED Competition Consultation, supra note x.
National organisation policy paper:
- Full McGill citation with short form: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “Regulatory Approaches to Artificial Intelligence in Finance: OECD Artificial Intelligence Papers No 4” (September 2024), online (pdf): <oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/09/regulatory-approaches-to-artificial-intelligence-in-finance_43d082c3/f1498c02-en.pdf> [AI in Finance].
- Full COAL citation with short form: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, “Regulatory Approaches to Artificial Intelligence in Finance: OECD Artificial Intelligence Papers No 4” (September 2024) oecd.org [AI in Finance].
- Subsequent citation: AI in Finance, supra note x.
The name of the case (EX: R v Mortengaler, R v Bedford).
