The Commonwealth Law Reports (CLR) () are the authorised reports of decisions of the High Court of Australia. The Commonwealth Law Reports are published by the Lawbook Company, a division of Thomson Reuters. James Merralls AM QC was the editor of the Reports from 1969 until his death in 2016. The current editors are Paul Vout KC and Peter Willis SC.

Each reported judgment includes a headnote written by an expert reporter (by convention, a practising barrister) which, as an authorised report, has been approved by the High Court. The current reporters are as follows:

Hannah Canham Roshan Chaile Bora Kaplan SC Alex Lee James McComish William Newland Patrick O'Bryan-Gusah Jakub Patela Stephen Puttick Daniel Reynolds Marcus Roberts Alexander Solomon-Bridge Ahmed Terzic Michael Wells Radhika Withana

The headnotes include a summary of counsel's legal arguments. The Reports also include tables of cases reported, affirmed, reversed, overruled, applied or judicially commented on and cited.

The Reports are available in PDF format from Westlaw AU. Scans of the first 100 volumes of the Reports, covering cases from 1903 to 1959, were freely published on the High Court's website and on BarNet JADE as part of the One-100 project.

Editors and reporters The editors of the Commonwealth Law Reports from time to time have been as follows: +Editors of the Commonwealth Law Reports#EditorVolumes Years1James C Anderson1–181903–1914 2Alfred H Hayball19–501914–19343E F Healy49–641933–19414H Headen Cuthbert (Assistant Editor)51–581934–19375B Sugerman KC64–701940–19456B P Macfarlan QC70–991945–19587R A Howell99–1201957–19708A J Leslie (Assistant Editor)11419659M G Morley (Assistant Editor)117–1221967–197010J D Merralls AM QC118–2571968–201611C J Horan KC256–2752016–202412P T Vout KC256–2016–13P G Willis SC276–2024– The reporters of the Commonwealth Law Reports from time to time have been as follows: +Reporters of the Commonwealth Law Reports#ReporterVolumesYears1W A Barton11903–19042Bennet Langton1–411903–19293H E Manning1–31903–19064C A White1–101903–19105N G Pilcher3–41905–19076H V Jaques5–121908–19117C E Weigall9–121910–19118Norman McGhie16–191912–19159D Gavan Duffy17–201913–191510A L Campbell18–191914–191511R T Gore20–221915–191712C A Weston21–261915–191913Neil McTague25–381918–192714J L Wassell30–391921–192715P V Feltham38–391926–192716E F Healy39–42, 66–861926–1930, 1942–195317G S Reed39–401926–192818B J Jeffries39–901926–195419Joseph Bales40–1041927–196120H Dallas Wiseman41–661928–194321C C Brebner41–831928–195122R C Wright44–791930–194923Oliver J Gillard62–681939–194424B Buller Murphy661942–194325F T P Burt QC78–1021948–196026J R Rex79–871949–195327Brian Hunter83–1251950–197128Russell D Barton86–1021952–196029G D Needham88–931953–195630M G Everett88–951953–195731R A Howell90–981953–195832W J Cuthbert91–921954–195533J M Macrossan93–951954–195734T J Lehane96–1111956–196435G H Smith99–1051957–196136Richard H Searby99–1031957–196037C S C Sheller101–1141959–196638J D Merralls103–1171959–196839G A Kennedy103–1391959–197840R K Todd103–1041959–196141J D Phillips104–1091960–196442R C Tadgell105–1081960–196343R L Hunter106–1111961–196444B M Debelle QC106–1541961–198445C Brettingham-Moore106–1201961–197046I C F Spry109–1341963–197647R Smart112–1141964–196648Rodney Parker112–1151964–196649M G Morley112–1271964–197250Michael Lazar115–1161965–196751Peter R Graham116–1191966–197052Naida Haxton116–1231966–197153R A Sundberg QC118–1831968–199554G K Downes120–1401969–197854H G Fryberg QC120–1541969–198455R M Webster121–1401969–197856A C Archibald129–1361972–197757R C Macaw133–1441974–198058M W D White133–1521974–198359C J S M Carr137–1771976–199360J H Karkar141–1591978–198561J G Santamaria141–1681978–199062J M Bennett155–1821983–199563M Sloss166–1821988–199564J D Elliott173–1971991–199965K H Bell QC183–1891994–199766G S Clarke SC183–2521994–201467S G E McLeish183–2211994–200568D S Mortimer183–1901994–199769C M Caleo188–2081996–200270G B Johnston188–1951996–199971M K Moshinsky SC189–2311997–200772W A Harris190199773D J Batt193–2231998–200574M Y Bearman193–2501998–201375P D Crutchfield194–2201998–200576J E Richards194–2281998–200677P G Willis SC199–256, 2691999–2016, 201978D W Bennett202–2082000–200279L G De Ferrari209–2422001–201180C J Horan KC209–2562001–201681P T Vout209–2562001–201682S P Donaghue210–2202003–200583G J Ahern221–2422006–201184M I Borsky222–2572006–201685E M Kingston223–2352005–200886C K M Lye224–2502005–201387J A Redwood224–2582005–201688C G Button227–2562005–201689D F C Thomas227–2402005–201090A D Pound SC232–2772008–202491C P Young235–2562007–201692P D Herzfeld240–2572009–201693N M Wood243–2632011–201494B W Jellis244–2542011–201595A M Dinelli KC246–2672012–202096A F Solomon-Bridge248–2012–97C J Tran253–2702013–202198H A Tiplady255–2632014–201899R Chaile258–2015–100M A Hosking258–2682015–2020101J A G McComish258–2015–102S Zeleznikow258–2702015–2021103O M Ciolek259–2722016–2022104R W Kruse259–2712016–2022105M J Wells259–2016–106R Withana260–2016–107J Anthony-Shaw261–2622016–2018108W J Newland268-2019-109E J Delany268–2762019–2024110J D Williams269–2762020–2024111D J Reynolds271–2020–112B D Kaplan SC270–2021–113J R Wang271–2832021–2026114S D Puttick273–2023–115J Patela274–2023–116A Terzic278–2024–117H Canham280–2024–118M Roberts280–2024–119P O'Bryan-Gusah284–2026–120A Lee286–2026–

Citation

For lawyers, the Commonwealth Law Reports are the preferred source for decisions of the High Court of Australia. An example of proper citation is:

Coleman v Power (2004) 220 CLR 1

This citation indicates that the decision of the Court in the case entitled Coleman v Power, decided in 2004, can be found beginning at page 1 of volume 220 of the Commonwealth Law Reports.

An alternative citation, which is medium neutral, is:

Coleman v Power HCA 39

This citation refers to the case entitled Coleman v Power, which was the 39th decision published by the High Court of Australia in 2004.

Both forms of citation (parallel citations) may be used so that users can access the case from different sources: Coleman v Power HCA 39; (2004) 220 CLR 1 However, Australian Guide to Legal Citation rule 2.2.7 advises against parallel citations for Australian cases.

See also Law report List of Law Reports in Australia The Law Reports United States Reports Supreme Court Reports (Canada)

References