Free Legal Research Resources - Foreign & International

This guide contains selected free online legal research resources for jurisdictions outside of the United States. These resources can be a great way to get started with your research when you don't have access to paid databases or if you want to get an overview of a topic before getting started with potentially expensive searches.  For information on Free and Low Cost legal research materials in the United States see Free Legal Research Resources - United States.

There are many useful resources that have been created which provide access to foreign legal materials at no cost, and instruction on how best to search for the law in foreign jurisdictions.

The following resources compile information about how to find the law in many jurisdictions.  These are significant resources that are often helpful to researchers in a wide range of geographical regions.

While not all African nations provide online access to their legal materials, an increasing number of these materials are available either on government websites or from non-governmental organizations. However, it is important to remember that these copies of the laws are not always official and you should always confirm the accuracy of any information in an official sources.

Increasingly, countries throughout Asia are posting their legal materials on government run website, sometimes even in translation. In addition, many organizations have created websites to provide free online access to legal materials for the region. However, it is important to remember that these copies of the laws are not always official and you should always confirm the accuracy of any information in an official sources.

These resources offer access to the laws of the sovereign nations in Australasia. Note: it is important to remember that these copies of the laws are not always official and you should always confirm the accuracy of any information in an official sources.

Many European countries make their legal materials available for free online, sometimes even in translation. However, it is important to remember that these copies of the laws are not always official and you should always confirm the accuracy of any information in an official sources.

Legal materials for the countries of North America are frequently available online, in multiple languages. Always remember that these copies of the laws are not always official and you should always confirm the accuracy of any information in an official sources.

Note: it is important to remember that these copies of the laws are not always official and you should always confirm the accuracy of any information in an official sources.

International law is the law governing relationships between nations.  There are several sources of free legal materials related to international law, many of which are listed under the general resources above, such as Globalex and WorldLII.

If you are doing legal research, you will likely want to use a citator, which is a tool designed to help you to find instances where a legal document has been cited or otherwise discussed.

The resources below provide free access to a range of international treaties.

Many sites also offer access to historical foreign laws from various periods. Included below is a small selection of available resources.

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