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Subject guide for Law

At this page you can find important resources within the field of Law.

Article databases

Danish 

  • DJØF Forlag online udgivelser (only in Danish)
    At this website you can find links to a number of journals from DJØF:
    EU-ret og menneskeret
    Kendelser om fast ejendom
    Nordisk Tidsskrift for Selskabsret
    Tidsskrift for miljø
    Juristen
  • Journals via Karnov Group (only in Danish)
    Journals that can be accessed via Karnov:
    Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen (UFR)
    Tidsskrift for Kriminalret (TFK)
    Tidsskrift for Bolig- og Byggeret (TBB)
    Forsikrings- og Erstatningsretlig Domssamling (FED)
    Miljøretlige Afgørelser og Domme (MAD)
    Tidsskrift for Familie og Arveret (TFA)
    Tidsskrift for Landbrugsret (TFL)
    Erhvervsjuridisk Tidsskrift (ET)
    Tidsskrift for Skatter og Afgifter (TfS)
    NB: There is no remote access to Karnov, however, as a student at Aarhus University you can access Karnov from home by registering via this link.

International

  • Beck-online
    The database contains the following types of information, related to German law: Journals, journal articles, books, commentaries, legislation and case law.
    Search guidelines can be seen under the box "Help" in the red navigation bar.
    Select "beck-online premium" under "Unser beck-online". There is off-campus access to the database.
  • Heinonline
    This is a database where you among others can find international law journals in full text.
  • KluwerArbitration (in English)
    This site provides access to international arbitration research. It includes both commentary from expert authors and primary source materials. Sources are in full text.
  • Kluwer Law Online (in English)
    Here you can find international law journals in full text e.g. journals concerning EU-law, tax law and business law. 
  • Scopus (in English)
    Scopus is both an article database and a citation index. It covers all fields.
  • Web of Science - Social Science Citation Index (in English + more)
    Web of Science (WoS) is an article database and a citation index with references to articles within all fields.
    Most content is available in full text.
  • Westlaw (in English)
    This is a comprehensive full text database with British, American and European sources of law. There is also access to sources of law from e.g. Australia and Canada. The website contains a large number of English-language law journals in full text. Access only from campus.

Newspaper and media

  • Factiva
    The Dow Jones Factiva provides access to comprehensive global news from newspapers, newsletters, websites, business reports, and more.
  • Infomedia (only in Danish)
    Here you can find full text articles from Danish national, regional and local daily and weekly newspapers, specialist journals, magazines and news agencies. It covers from around 1990 and onwards.
  • Retriever (Norwegian and Swedish) 
    The largest Nordic media archive of printed national and international newspapers, websites, blogs, television and radio. The time period vary according to the specific source. Even though the website is in Norwegian, it is possible to find articles etc. in English.

Danish resources - Legislative work

  • Folketingstidende (Report of plenary proceedings in the Danish Parliament)
    The Office of the Folketing Hansard writes and publishes the official report of the plenary proceedings in the Folketing and has been doing so since the abolishment of the absolute monarchy in 1850. Up until 2009 the report was published in a printed version, but today it is completely digital and published solely on the internet. Access to "folketingstidende" 2009-10 ff at folketingstidende.dk. Access to "folketingstidende" 1953-2008 at e-folketingstidende
  • Folketinget/The Danish Parliament (in Danish and English - more detailed in Danish)
    This website provides access to all documents concerning the work of the Danish Parliament. It includes bills, proposals for resolution, documents, requests, secretary reports, committee documents, reports concerning the committees, the elections, minutes etc. Coverage of parliamentary years see the web-archive.
  • Constitution 1849 (in Danish)
    Electronic access to documents concerning the proposal to the constitution of 1849.
  • Karnovs lovsamling (only in Danish)
    Here you can find the current Danish legislation with annotations. You can also find decisions and references to literature within the field of law, and statements from the Ombudsman of the Danish Parliament etc. Furthermore there are access to several Danish law journals. 
    NB: There is no remote access to Karnov, however, as a student at Aarhus University you can access Karnov from home by registering via this link. 
  • Retsinformation (only in Danish)
    Retsinformation gives access to current laws, historical laws and announcements, circulars, decrees, the Danish Parliament’s documents and the reports of the ombudsman of the Danish Parliament. It covers 1985-86 and forward. 
    It does not contain legislation that solely concerns Greenland or the Faroe Islands.
  • Service for the Danish Central Administration
    The site provides, among other things, access to Danish numbered Commission reports in full text.

Danish resources - Judgments

  • Karnovs lovsamling (only in Danish)
    Here you can find the current Danish legislation with annotations. You can also find decisions and references to literature within the field of law, and statements from the Ombudsman of the Danish Parliament etc. Furthermore there are access to several Danish law journals. 
    NB: There is no remote access to Karnov, however, as a student at Aarhus University you can access Karnov from home by registering via this link.
  • Ankestyrelsens principmeddelelser (only in Danish)
    Statements of principle from the National Board of Appeal are a binding source of law in anonymised form as the municipalities and others. apply to decisions in similar cases.
  • Anklagemyndighedens vidensbase (only in Danish)
    On the page you will find selected Danish judgements within the field of criminal law, an overview of punishment and crime concerning narcotics and fraud and The Public Prosecutors notices. More on how to search the database

  • Arbejdsretsportalen (only in Danish)
    This portal contains the main part of the judgments passed by Arbejdsretten (the Labour court), technical arbitration awards from the private area and employment judgments. All judgments and orders can be found as full text with an abstract. The portal also contains a comprehensive section of laws and rules, and selected literature.
  • ED-lovportalen (only in Danish)
    The portal provides access to Danish tenancy and property law and adjacent areas of law, the corresponding administrative regulations and judgments and decisions. Also contains valid (as amended to date) and historical legislation and future legislative changes etc.. Provides access to the Landowners Judgment Collection from 1988, Administrative decisions from 1998, the journal Huset Jura from 1998, and textbooks on tenancy and property law.  
  • The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman (in Danish and English – only some publications are in English)
    Reports of the ombudsman of the Danish Parliament.
  • Domsdatabasen (in Danish)
    The Courts of Denmark (Danmarks Domstole) have developed the Judgment Database (Domsdatabasen), where you can search and find judgments handed down by the courts. You can find pseudonymous judgments from the Supreme Court, the High Courts, the Maritime and Commercial Court and in some cases also the city courts.
    Note that the database was launched in January 2022 and so far there is only a small selection. The database is being expanded on an ongoing basis.

Danish resources - Laws

  • Karnovs lovsamling (only in Danish)
    Here you can find the current Danish legislation with annotations. You can also find decisions and references to literature within the field of law, and statements from the Ombudsman of the Danish Parliament etc. Furthermore there are access to several Danish law journals. 
    NB: There is no remote access to Karnov, however, as a student at Aarhus University you can access Karnov from home by registering via this link.
  • Lovtidende (only in Danish)
    The Danish laws are announced in Lovtidende. To have entered into force, Danish laws must be published in Lovtidende.
  • Retsinformation (only in Danish)
    Retsinformation gives access to current laws, historical laws and announcements, circulars, decrees, the Danish Parliament’s documents and the reports of the ombudsman of the Danish Parliament. It covers 1985-86 and forward. 
    It does not contain legislation that solely concerns Greenland or the Faroe Islands.
  • Folketingstidende (Report of plenary proceedings in the Danish Parliament)
    The Office of the Folketing Hansard writes and publishes the official report of the plenary proceedings in the Folketing and has been doing so since the abolishment of the absolute monarchy in 1850. Up until 2009 the report was published in a printed version, but today it is completely digital and published solely on the internet. Access to "folketingstidende" 2009-10 ff at folketingstidende.dk. Access to "folketingstidende" 1953-2008 at e-folketingstidende.  
  • Folketinget/The Danish Parliament (in Danish and English - more detailed in Danish)
    This website provides access to all documents concerning the work of the Danish Parliament. It includes bills, proposals for resolution, documents, requests, secretary reports, committee documents, reports concerning the committees, the elections, minutes etc. Coverage of parliamentary years see the web-archive.
  • Arbejdsretsportalen (only in Danish)
    This portal contains the main part of the judgments passed by Arbejdsretten (the Labour court), technical arbitration awards from the private area and employment judgments. All judgments and orders can be found as full text with an abstract. The portal also contains a comprehensive section of laws and rules, and selected literature.
  • ED-lovportalen (only in Danish)
    The portal provides access to Danish tenancy and property law and adjacent areas of law, the corresponding administrative regulations and judgments and decisions. Also contains valid (as amended to date) and historical legislation and future legislative changes etc.. Provides access to the Landowners Judgment Collection from 1988, Administrative decisions from 1998, the journal Huset Jura from 1998, and textbooks on tenancy and property law.

Danish resources - Other

  • Bibliotek.dk
    A portal for all Danish libraries with information about materials from all Danish public and research libraries. The materials can be ordered to be picked up at your own library.
  • Research Portal Denmark (Danmarks Forskningsportal) (in Danish and English)
    The research portal collects and organizes data on Danish published research, e.g. scientific articles, PhD theses, conference contributions, etc.
    Data is collected from 3 large global services as well as local systems of Danish research institutions.
  • Project books on Law (in Danish)
    Project concerning digitizing older Danish legal literature in book form. You can access the literature for free and in pdf form. There are both legal monographs, Ph.D. dissertations etc. Periode of time: 1822-2017.

Guides to sources of law

  • Juridisk Nettviser (only in Norwegian)
    This is a Norwegian portal with a comprehensive collection of links to sources of law from the whole world.
  • Juridisk ordbog (Danish-English-Danish legal dictionary)
    This is an Danish-English-Danish legal dictionary that covers English law i.e. the law in England and Wales. It can be accessed via Ordbogen.com. The dictionary also features an overview of the court system in England and Wales as well as the court system in Denmark (in Danish).
  • Abbreviations (in Danish)
    The most common abbreviations within the field of Law.
  • Law Libguides (only in Danish)
    Here you can get an overview of the sources of law. The Libguides cover Danish and Norwegian sources of law, EU law and international law. Furthermore, there are guides for UK, France and Germany as well. The portal is developed and maintained by Legal Knowledge Centre – University of Copenhagen. Be aware that not all links work from Aarhus University – if so the material can be found through library.au.dk/en
    The Libguides are primarily for Danish-speaking people. However, there is an overview of useful links for English-speaking people at the last tab of each guide.
  • Synopsis (only in Danish)
    This is a portal with references to Danish literature, laws, judgments and articles – classified after field of study. This is a good place to start your research.
  • Gyldendals ordbøger (website only in Danish)
    Via Ordbogen.com there is a joint electronic access to Gyldendals røde ordbøger which is a collection of dictionaries published by the Danish publishing company Gyldendal. 

International resources

  • British and Irish Legal Information Institute
    Legal material from i.a. England, Ireland and Scotland. You can find both laws but also judgments from a wide range of courts across the UK.
  • CISG (Contracts for International Sale of Goods) (in English)
    About International Commercial Law: Here you can find judgments and articles within CISG.
    You must register to search the database.
  • Congress.gov (in English)
    This is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information and it is presented by the Library of Congress. The site contains for example bills and laws.
  • European Court of Human Rights  (in English and French)
    Here you can find material about the European Court of Human Rights and the judgments that have been passed by the court. If you want to find a judgment, you can use “Search HUDOC case-law”. You can make an advanced search on text, keywords etc.
    European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) also provides you with a “Knowledge sharing site” which is a valuable supplement to the HODOC database. Here you can find knowledge and guides about each article in the convention.
  • GlobaLex (in English)
    Here you can find articles and guides with an international focus. See e.g. how different countries' legal systems work and where to find legal sources from the countries concerned.
  • Scopus (in English)
    Scopus is both an article database and a citation index. It covers all fields.
  • Web of Science - Social Science Citation Index (in English + more)
    Web of Science (WoS) is an article database and a citation index with references to articles within all fields. Most content is available in full text.
  • Westlaw (in English)
    This is a comprehensive full text database with British, American and European sources of law. There is also access to sources of law from e.g. Australia and Canada. The website contains a large number of English-language law journals in full text.

Norwegian resources

  • BIBSYS (oria.no) (in English and Norwegian)
    A common catalogue for all Norwegian university libraries, Nasjonalbiblioteket (the national library) and a number of other Norwegian academic and research libraries.
  • DIVA (in English, Swedish and Norwegian)
    This site gives access to Norwegian and Swedish research publications, theses and student papers. 
  • Idunn (only in Norwegian)
    Here you can get access to Nordic journals in full text.
  • Lovdata Pro (in Norwegian – some information is available in English)
    This site provides access to Norwegian laws, statutes, regulations, judgments,Norsk Lovtidend (The Official Legal Gazette), treaties, journals in full text etc.
    Be aware of the fact that the translations of laws are unofficial and may not be updated.
  • NORA (only in Norwegian)
    Norwegian research publications. A bibliographic database with references to academic works in full text (articles, theses, books, chapters in books, reports etc.) from Norwegian universities and other institutions of higher education, institutes for sector research, research councils etc.
  • Norart (in Norwegian and English)
    This is a Norwegian article database. Articles can be ordered through “Interlibrary loans”.
  • Regjeringen.no (in Norwegian, English and Sami)
    The site gives access to Norwegian bills and reports where the latter can be published as a regular report or as an Official Norwegian Reports (in Norwegian: Norges offentlige utredninger, NOU).
  • Rettsdata med Norsk Lovkommentar/Norwegian law comments (only in Norwegian)
    Here you can find commented Norwegian laws – it is a counterpart to Karnov in Denmark and Sweden. It also contains a number of Norwegian journals with decisions.
  • Stortinget.no
    Information about "Stortinget" (the Norwegian Parliament) and its legislative work, etc.
    At Stortinget.no there is an entrance to historical proposals for resolutions and digitized editions of 
    the 1814-2005 parliamentary negotiations (in Norwegian).

Swedish resources

  • DIVA (in English, Swedish and Norwegian)
    This site gives access to Norwegian and Swedish research publications, theses and student papers.
  • Idunn (only in Norwegian)
    Here you can get access to Nordic journals in full text.
  • Juridikbok.se
    Here you will find digitized Swedish legal books, which are available to everyone.
  • Karnov - Svensk (only in Swedish)
    At Swedish Karnov you can find Swedish laws and law annotations, preparatory work and  decisions from courts and administrative authorities. In Förfatningar and Propositioner there are references from laws to bills and the other way around. 
  • Lagrummet.se (in English and Swedish – search only possible in Swedish)
    This is a portal for Swedish public administration legal information. You can find legal information from the Government, Riksdagen (the Swedish Parliament), higher courts and government agencies. You can find Swedish sources of law including the different types of preparatory work, laws and administrative decisions.
  • Libris (in Swedish and English)
    Swedish bibliographic database. Libris is a joint database for Swedish university and research libraries. Here you will find books, articles, journals, etc. You can order materials through the Royal Danish Library if we do not have the material ourselves.
  • Projekt Runeberg
    Here you will find in Swedish: Statens offentliga utredningar, SOU – back to 1922.
  • Svensk Lovsamling (only in Swedish)
    Notisum AB provides free access to Swedish laws (Svenska Lagsamling, SLS). The collection includes all applicable Swedish laws and regulations (SFS).
  • Sveriges domstolar/Sweden’s courts (only in Swedish)
    Here you can find guiding decisions from several authorities e.g. Högsta domstolenHovrätternaArbetsdomstolen etc.
  • Sveriges Riksdag/Sweden's Riksdag (in many languages, but most comprehensive in Swedish)
    Here you can find documents and information that enables you to follow passage of parliamentary business from the proposal to the decision-making stage. You can for example find Swedish Government Official Reports (in Swedish: Statens offentliga utredningar, SOU).

German resources

EU law

  • CURIA (in all of the official EU languages)
    Here you can find judgments from the Court of Justice of the European (1953-). Also opinions of the advocate general can be found (1953-). The documents are in full text.
  • EU-Karnov (only in Danish)
    This site contains information about EU legal aspects within 58 topics and areas of law. Each topic contains an introduction that provides an overview of the area of law, its structure and function. The introductions examine central decisions in the Union treaty. The annotations in EU Karnov contain references to relevant legal acts, judgments and literature.
  • The EU Information Center (in English and Danish – most comprehensive in Danish)
    Denmark’s largest website about the EU. The objective of the website is to answer questions from citizens concerning the European Union. You can find materials about the EU in general as well as the most important documents concerning the EU decision-making process.
  • EUR-LEX (in all of the official EU languages)
    This is an EU portal with common entrance to the treaties, the Official Journal, consolidated legislation, preparatory acts and EU case law.
  • European Sources Online (only in English)
    This is an online database from which you have access to information on EU e.g. EU legislation, EU institutions and activities, European countries and regions, and international organisations in Europe.
  • Find-eR (in English, French and German)
    A search tool that makes it possible to explore the print and electronic collections of the European Commission Libraries. Available library resources include e-books, full-text articles and databases. You can find EU publications and documents from the EU countries’ governments concerning the EU and European integration.
  • PreLex (in all of the official EU languages)
    This database allows you to follow a legislative proposal from the beginning until the final law is adopted. It is possible to see all interventions by the institutions and the bodies involved in the decision-making process.

Legal history

If you want sources with a legal historical perspective, here is a starting point in relation to some of the old laws and processes for this (all in Danish).


Good citation practice

What is plagiarism and how can you avoid plagiarising? At the site Plagiarism for students you can find the answers to those questions.

How do you refer and make references? In Retsdogmatisk forskning i praksis” (in Danish) by Lars Henrik Gam Madsen, you can find examples of how to make notes, references etc.  

How do you make a unique reference to "Folketingstidende" and "Rigsdagstidende"? At Folketingstidende.dk you can get a detailed guide (in Danish): Om at henvise til Folketingstidende.   

Course collection

Each semester the library creates semester shelves at the library for those materials that are used in the courses. The materials are intended for copying at the library and they cannot be borrowed. You can check the library database to see if there should be a circulation copy available.

At Bartholins Allé the semester shelves are right across the information desk on the first floor.

An orange label marks the books on Law's semester shelves. To assure that most students have access to and can use the books, these books can only be used on the first floor at the library.
See all titles on the semester shelves for Law.

Master theses from Department of Law

All Master's theses published by the Department of Law are indexed and stored at Aarhus University Library, School of Business and Social Sciences, Bartholins Allé.


Copyright

Do you know the rules about copyright, when you are studying and writing papers? Figure out how and when you can use pictures, video-recordings or other materials here.

Information seeking

We have collected some relevant information about information retrieval and on how to quickly and efficiently find the materials you need.

More for your studies

We have compiled the best resources for you as a student so you can get an easy overview of the services AU Library has to offer.