All primary legislation starts life as Bills, which are proposals for legislation. Legislation is a law or a set of laws that have been passed by Parliament (Oireachtas). The word is also used to describe the act of making a new law.
Case Law is the body of Law set out in judicial decisions. As Ireland is a common law jurisdiction where the doctrine of precedent applies, case law is extremely important. Judgments of each case can bind all subsequent cases (depending on the seniority of the court). Thus, Case law sets legal precedents - where there is no legislation - or places a working interpretation on existing legislation. Case Law is a primary source of legal research.
Please see below for recommended resources for researching both Legislation and Case Law.
BAILII: British & Irish Legal Information Institute
Provides free access to British and Irish case law and legislation, European Union case law, Law Commission reports, and other law-related British and Irish material.
Westlaw IE
This legal materials database offers online access to Irish legal materials such as case reports, case digests, legal journals, and unreported judgements. It also offers a current awareness service providing updates on recent developments in Irish law. Search Round Hall's legal material dating back to 1976.
Classified List of Legislation (Acts-In-Force) (Ireland)
Includes all Acts of the Oireachtas (Acts enacted since 1922) that remain in force (over 2,000 Acts). Also includes 100 of the most used Acts that were enacted before the State was established in 1922 and which remain in force.
Government Legislation Programme
Includes a listing of bills before the Dáil and their status.
IRLII: Irish Legal Information Initiative
Includes a listing of bills before the Dail and their status. IRLII is intended to complement, rather than compete with, BAILII.
Irish Statute Book
This resource, created by the Office of the Attorney General, provides the full text of the Acts of the Oireachtas, Statutory Instruments, and Chronological Tables of the Statutes back to 1922. It also includes the Legislation Directory.
The Legislation Directory
Tracks changes to primary legislation from the pre and post-1922 periods and secondary legislation from 1999 onwards.
Revised Acts
The Irish Law Reform Commission website has published an alphabetical list of all Revised Acts and a chronological list. Around 170 pre-2005 Acts, such as the Planning and Development Act 2000, selected on the basis of the Commission’s public consultation as to which Acts are the most frequently used, and all Acts enacted from 2004 onwards that have been textually amended (with the exception of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 which is in preparation, and the Finance Acts).
vLex Justis
Provides full-text access to Irish, EU, UK, and Canadian case law and legislation. Includes full-text English Law Reports from 1865, Irish Reports from 1919, and full-text Acts of Parliament for England, Wales, and Scotland dating back to the Magna Carta (1235). We recommend that users set up a personal account, as this gives access to many more platform features. Click 'Create my account' on the vLex Justis landing page to set up a personal account.
BAILII: British & Irish Legal Information Institute
Provides free access to British and Irish case law and legislation, European Union case law, Law Commission reports, and other law-related British and Irish material.
The Courts Service of Ireland (courts.ie)
The official website of the Irish Courts.
IRLII: Irish Legal Information Initiative
Includes a listing of bills before the Dail and their status. IRLII is intended to complement, rather than compete with, BAILII.
Lexis+ Library (Legal)
A comprehensive legal database containing case law, expert commentary, and primary and secondary legislation as amended.
Westlaw IE
This legal materials database offers online access to Irish legal materials such as case reports, case digests, legal journals, and unreported judgements. It also offers a current awareness service providing updates on recent developments in Irish law. Search Round Hall's legal material dating back to 1976.