Step 1: Secondary Sources - Legal Encyclopedias

Canadian Legal Encyclopedias

Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (CED). 4th ed. Toronto: Carswell, 2008 - .

  • The CED has approximately 50 titles and two editions, one for Ontario and one for the Western provinces.
  • The print and online versions of the CED are only updated sporadically, so always check the currency of the title and look at the supplements pages which accompany each title.

Print Version:
Available at the Bora Laskin Law Library
Dig Can. A2 C42 (Ontario edition only).

  • The main work is organized alphabetically by subject title. Each title covers a broad legal topic and is broken down into paragraphs. Each paragraph is footnoted with references to relevant statutes and case law. Each individual title has an index, a table of contents and a table of cases.
  • In addition to the individual subject indexes the there are some useful finding tools including a Keyword index, and a Contents Key, as well as Statutes, Rules, and Regulations Keys.

Users can:

  • Browse the table of contents.
  • Search the subject title, classification heading or citation indexes.

Online Version:
Both the Ontario and Western editions are available online through Westlaw Canada.

  • The contents to the online versions are the same the updates are incorporated into the text and links to full text case law is provided.

Users can:

  • Search full text by keyword; by either using “Terms and Connectors” (i.e. Tort &” loss of limb”) or natural language (i.e. tort loss limb)
  • Browse through the “Table on Contents”

Halsbury’s Laws of Canada. 1st ed. Markham, Ont.: LexisNexis, 2006.

Print version:
Available at the Bora Laskin Law Library
Dig Can. A2 C46 Stacks.

  • Main Work is a multivolume set of alphabetically arranged legal subject titles authored by a Canadian expert on that subject.
  • Each subject includes subheadings and similar to the CED, each subject title includes references to relevant legislation and cases.
  • Some subject areas are still in production. When finished the set will be approximately 60 volumes.
  • Each volume contains: list of references and abbreviations, Table of Cases, Table of Statutes, Table of Statutory Instruments, Commentary, Subject Index, list of selected secondary sources and a glossary of terms.
  • Unique to Halsbury’s is the list of secondary sources.
  • The set as a whole also includes a Consolidated Index, Table of Cases, Table of Statutes and Statutory Instruments and Subject Index.

Users can:

  • Browse the table of contents for the relevant subject.
  • Search the subject title, classification heading or citation indexes.

Online Version:
available through LexisNexis/Quicklaw

  • The contents are the same as the print with updated material incorporated into the text. Links to full text case law is provided

Users Can

  • Search the full text by keyword
  • Locate the appropriate topic by browsing the subject titles