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Access Halsbury’s Laws as a paper source (secondary)
The electronic version has significant advantages in terms of updating. However, it can be very helpful to familiarise yourself with the paper version, to help you to understand exactly what you are seeing when you use the electronic version (for example, a volume, or a paragraph within a volume, of an encyclopaedia). Again, the following steps will help familiarise you with the paper source, but you are encouraged to read the Lexis+® Halsbury’s Laws user guide for the paper source (see Further Reading).
- You should search against the broad legal context in the index to find the volume, edition, and paragraph number.
- You will then read the paragraph, and the footnotes (which are more obvious in the paper version, being on the page without you needing to remember to reveal them).
- You then need to consult the Cumulative Supplement to check if there has been any change to the law since the volume you have read was published. The Cumulative Supplement cross-refers to the volume you have just read. It will note any changes that have been made to any paragraphs of that volume. If there have been no changes, there will be no listing in the Cumulative Supplement, so do not worry if there is no update for the paragraph you have read.
- Finally, you should check the Noter Up, again by volume then paragraph, for any changes to the law since the Cumulative Supplement was published.
Locating current legislation using Halsbury’s paper sources (primary)
Halsbury’s Statutes and Halsbury’s Statutory Instruments are paper sources you can use to find legislation. The steps to follow are:
1. Look up the legislation in the index. This will give you the volume and page you need.
2. When you find the legislation in the volume, check the commencement date (see Figure 7.1) not only for the legislation as a whole, but also for the particular sections you are reading. You cannot assume every part of the legislation is in force.
3. Next, consult the Cumulative Supplement to check whether there have been any changes since the volume you have just read was published. The Cumulative Supplement is an annual volume that updates all the main volumes up to the end of the previous calendar year.
4. Then, check the Noter Up for changes made since the date of publication of the Cumulative Supplement. The Noter Up is issued monthly and updates the Cumulative Supplement.
In both the Cumulative Supplement and the Noter Up you will search against the name of the Act then against the section you are using. If the section is not referred to, you can assume that the legislation in the volume is up to date.