AGLC Format
Treat AGLC as a legal-citation system, not a universal Australian document-layout template. Identify the source type, apply the relevant AGLC4 citation rule and pinpoint conventions, and follow the controlling local requirements for matters the institution or publication specifies separately.
AGLC4 is the current fourth edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation. Use it for Australian legal citation when your institution, journal, court, or assignment requires AGLC, but check any local instructions because they can add to or override generic AGLC presentation requirements.
Key details
Further guidance
Edition
Use AGLC4 unless the controlling institution explicitly requires something else. Verify the edition before major submissions because legal citation systems can change.
Local Rules
Check the target court, journal, faculty, or instructor for local requirements concerning document format, bibliography, footnotes, or deviations.
Pinpoints
Follow AGLC conventions for pinpoint references and subsequent references rather than improvising from another legal style.
Source Type
Find the rule for the actual authority being cited—case, legislation, book, journal article, treaty, website, or another source type—rather than applying one generic pattern.
Worked Example
If a faculty says “use AGLC4” but also supplies its own assignment cover-page and word-count rules, apply AGLC4 to the citations and the faculty rules to the submission format.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- About the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) (opens in a new tab)Melbourne Law School · Current official guidance identifies AGLC4 as the fourth edition and as a uniform Australian legal-citation system for legal writing and research.
- Legal Citation Style Guides (opens in a new tab)Melbourne Law School Library · Current law-library guidance states that AGLC4 is the latest edition and the main citation style used in Australia for legal materials.