Template:Cite act

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Purpose

This template is designed for citing legislative acts, legal documents, laws, and other governmental codes.

Usage

This is a wrapper template of Citation Style 1 (CS1)'s {{Cite report}} template. It supports nearly all standard CS1 parameters with exceptions as noted below.

As the resources cited in this template will generally be primary sources, editors are advised to be familiar with Wikipedia's citation guidelines. A common usage is indirect citation, in which a secondary source references a primary source:

, cited in James Roark. The American Promise. p. 2.

Syntax

Basic usage

{{Cite act
| italics = 
| firstpage = 
| at = 
| pinpoint = 
| parallel = 
| id = 
| mode = 
| title = 
| script-title = 
| trans-title = 
| act-type = 
| type = 
| index = 
| docket = 
| number = 
| orig-section = 
| article = 
| prefix = 
| articletype = 
| article-type = 
}}

{{cite act |title= |type= |date= |institution= |at= |url= |access-date=}}

{{cite act 
| title = 
| type =  
| date = 
|institution=
| at = 
| url = 
| access-date =
}}

More parameters

{{cite act |author= |article= |title= |script-title= |trans-title= |type= |prefix= |index= |date= |periodical= |institution= |location= |at= |url= |access-date= |archive-url |archive-date=}}

{{cite act 
| title = 
| type =  
| date = 
|institution=
| at = 
| url = 
| access-date =
}}

{{cite act |type= |index= |date= |article= |article-type= |legislature= |title= |script-title= |trans-title= |page= |url= |access-date= |via= |language=}}

Parameter common usage notes

• |title= – Outputs in upright roman case (not italics or quotes). Will strip any outside formatting.
• |script-title= – Can also meet the requirement for a title field. Requires an appropriate ISO language prefix, such as |script-title=el:Ελληνικά.
• |trans-title= – Requires title or script-title, and outputs after in brackets.
• |orig-section= – Passes directly to CS1. Will output in quotation marks, and strip any outside formatting. (alias: |orig-sec=)
• |reporter= – alias of CS1 |series=, and implicitly should be what |volume= applies to; planned in later implementation to map to |journal= (not feasible with current wrapper).
• |volume= – For the |reporter= field, the volume is whatever information is needed to find the correct issue of the periodical in which the act/law/document is published. (So for a periodical indexed by month-year, this can be a date.) In legal citations (US and UK), this precedes the reporter, and will do so in a future version of this template. IndigoBook (US) suggests to enclose the entire volume field in [brackets] if it is wordy. Do not do this yourself, as it corrupts the metadata – when the base template implementation is changed this will be done automatically.
• |date= – Alternatively: |year=; passes directly to CS1
• |type= – Fills the corresponding CS1 parameter, which outputs after the title in parentheses. But if no |title= fields are specified (including script-title and trans-title), then case |title= is set to the type prefix index field, and CS1's |type=none. (alias |act-type=)
• |prefix= – Indicates how the act index/number is represented, such as = no., = #, etc. Followed by a non-breaking space, then the index/number.
• |index= – now has (consistent with CS1 report-type templates) the aliases |docket= and |number=, but appends this to the type string.
• |firstpage= – If the reporter/journal indexes its citations by their first page, then list it here (the first number after the reporter name). This is prepended to the at/pinpoint field.
• |pinpoint= – section, page, ch. numbers in the published source being cited. Include the "s." "pp." or "ch." (with or without stops depending on consistent style); alias to CS1's |at=.
• |parallel= – for a parallel citation (typically in a requirement for both a neutral/government and commercial publisher); input the reporter with volume and pinpoint as it appears in the original citation (including brackets); for now prepends to id field.
• |id= – CS1 parameter. This is typically a unique identifier for linking to digital catalogs. (Suggested uses: {{CELEX}} and {{ECLI}}.) (It is not, unlike in CS1 report-type templates, an alias with |docket= and |number=.)

Planned deprecation (use alternatives)

• |article= – The <article-type> <article> pair is now appended to the type string above. Because |article=, |section=, etc. are aliases for |chapter= in CS1, it is recommended to use |orig-section=, as this is the source-neutral reference to the original act/document. Sections/articles within the published text are cited using the |at= parameter, using abbreviations like "art.", "para.", "§" (with full stops omitted only if consistent with the Wikipedia article's citation style).
• |legislature= – now an alias of CS1 |institution= and |publisher=.
• |article-type= – Appends string to |article= (alias: |articletype=) (deprecation planned)

Deprecation or significant change from previous version

• |df= – Called from CS1 (or controlled by user settings); previous template usage deprecated
• |odf= – DEPRECATED

Note on translation parameters: For citing acts in non-Anglophone jurisdictions, it is suggested to include all details, including the abbreviations for "article" and "section", in the translation.

CoiNS metadata

The following fields pass metadata via the CS1 base parameter:

Parameter field	Metadata key
<default>	rft.type = report
title type	rft.title
jurisdiction location	rft.place

{{Cite act
| italics = 
| firstpage = 
| at = 
| pinpoint = 
| parallel = 
| id = 
| mode = 
| title = 
| script-title = 
| trans-title = 
| act-type = 
| type = 
| index = 
| docket = 
| number = 
| orig-section = 
| article = 
| prefix = 
| articletype = 
| article-type = 
}}

Examples

Major legal citation style comparison

See larger list of citation style comparisons in Template:Cite act/testcases § Major legal citation style comparison

IndigoBook (US Bluebook CC0 clone)

Note for April 2024 comparisons to sandbox: series=reporter; firstpage->firstpage+at; authority=author; year->date IndigoBook comparison test: US regulation republished Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 § 103, 17 U.S.C.A. § 1201(e) (West). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Digital Millennium Copyright Act |year=1998 |article=§ 103 |volume=17 |series=U.S.C.A. |at=§ 1201(e) }} IndigoBook: US Code historical Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. § 223 (2012 & Supp. I 2013). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Communications Act of 1934 |year=1934 |orig-date=2012 & Supp. I 2013 |volume=47 |institution=U.S.C. |at=§ 223 }} IndigoBook: US constitutions <sc>U.S. Const.</sc> art. I, § 8, cl. 8. Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=U.S. Const. |article=art. I, § 8, cl. 8. }} IndigoBook: US Congress session law FASTER Act of 2021, Pub. L. No. 117-11, 135 Stat. 262 (2021). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=FASTER Act |date=2021 |type=Pub. L. |number=117-11 |series=Stat. |volume=135 |at=262 }} IndigoBook: US Congress hearing Protecting Federal Judiciary Employees from Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Other Workplace Misconduct: Hearing Before the H. Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, 116th Cong. (2020), https://www.congress.gov/event/116th-congress/house-event/110505. Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Protecting...Internet |year=2020 |legislature=116th Cong. |url=https://www.congress.gov/event/116th-congress/house-event/110505 }} IndigoBook: US Congress report <sc>S. Rep.</sc> No. 99-146, at 363, as reprinted in 1986 U.S.C.C.A.N. 42, 412. Markup Renders as {{cite act |type=S. Rep. |number=99-146 |volume=1986 |series=U.S.C.C.A.N. |page=42, 412 }}

OSCOLA UK/Commonwealth style

OSCOLA has no copyright claims that I can tell OSCOLA: Statutory instruments, etc Penalties for Disorderly Behaviour (Amendment of Minimum Age) Order 2004, SI 2004/3166, ss 1(1) and 4(3)(a). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Penalties for Disorderly Behaviour (Amendment of Minimum Age) |date=2004 |type=SI |number=2004/3166 |series=Stat. |volume=135 |at=ss 1(1) and 4(3)(a) |mode=cs2}} OOSCOLA: Bills Academies HL Bill (2010-11) 1, cl 8(2) Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Academies HL Bill |legislature=House of Lords (2010-11) |volume=1 |at=cl 8(2) |mode=cs2}} OSCOLA: Command papers/treaties Department for International Development, Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future (White Paper, Cm 7656, 2009) ch 5 Markup Renders as {{cite act |author=Department for International Development |title=Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future |type=White Paper |number=Cm 7656 |date=2009 |at=ch 5}} OSCOLA: Hansard HC Deb 3 February 1977, vol 389, col WA261 Markup Renders as {{cite act |type=HC Deb |date=3 February 1977 |volume=389 |at=col WA261}} OSCOLA: Committee reports: Health Committee, Patient Safety (HC 2008–09, 151–I) paras 173–75 Joint Committee on Human Rights, Legislative Scrutiny: Equality Bill (second report); Digital Economy Bill (2009–10, HL 73, HC 425) 14–16 Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Digital Economy Bill |legislature= UK Parliament 2009-10 |type= HL 73, HC 425 |at=14-16}}

Australia style (AGLC)

See e.g. Murdoch Univ Library AGLC Referencing Guide: Legislation: {{Act Title Year}/{Bill Title Year}\} ({Jurisdiction abbreviation}) {Pinpoint to section(s)/rule(s)} AGLC Acts: Jaywalking Act 1990 (NSW). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Jaywalking |type=Act |date=1990 |location=NSW |italics=y}} AGLC Bills: Elections Amendment (Grassroots Funding) Bill 2011 (Cth). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Elections Amendment (Grassroots Funding) |type=Bill |date=2011 |location=Cth}} AGLC Orders : Territory Court Rules 1971 (Cth) (at 11 November 2011) ords 5–7, 9 r 2B <https://www.actlawsociety.asn.au/documents/item/1911>. Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Territory Court Rules 1971 |at=ords 5–7, 9 r 2B |location=Cth |italics=y |url=https://www.actlawsociety.asn.au/documents/item/1911 |access-date=11 November 2011}} AGLC Policy : Department of Housing Affairs (Cth), Procedures Advice Manual 2: Division 1.4 – Appointment to nominated positions (citizen approval), para 12.2. Markup Renders as {{cite act |author=Department of Housing Affairs |title=Procedures Advice Manual 2 |chapter=Division 1.4 – Appointment to nominated positions (citizen approval) |at=para 12.2 |location=Cth |italics=y |url=https://www.actlawsociety.asn.au/documents/item/1911 |access-date=11 November 2011}} AGLC Explanatory Memorandum/Notes/Statement : Explanatory Memorandum, Charter of Decency Bill 2010 (Vic). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Charter of Decency Bill 2010 |type=Explanatory Memorandum |location=Vic}} AGLC Parliamentary Papers -- Hansard : Mineral Resources Committee, Parliament of Queensland, Inquiry into the Global Warming Statement Process in Queensland (Parliamentary Paper No 19, September 2001). Markup Renders as {{cite act |author=Mineral Resources Committee |legislature=Parliament of Queensland |title=Inquiry into the Global Warming Statement Process in Queensland |type=Parliamentary Paper No 19 |date=September 2001}} AGLC Second Reading Speech (in Hansard) : Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, Senate, 11 February 2004, 29 (Robert Ross, Attorney-General). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Commonwealth |legislature=Senate |series=Parliamentary Debates |type=Parliamentary Paper |at=59 |date=11 February 2004 |author=Robert Ross, Attorney-General}} AGLC Treaty: Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of France Providing Nukes, signed 1 August 2000, [2001] ATS 21 (entered into force 20 December 2000). Markup Renders as {{cite act |title=Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of France Providing Nukes |orig-date=signed 1 August 2000, entered into force 20 December 2000 |date=2001 |series=ATS |at=21 }}

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData for this template used by TemplateWizard, VisualEditor and other tools. See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Cite act in articles based on its TemplateData.

TemplateData for Cite act

Legal subtemplate wrapping cite_report; see CS1 for details

Template parameters[Edit template data]

Parameter		Description	Type	Status
article	article chapter	For words like "Annex III", "Article IV", "Subsection 2(a)", to separate from article= field, which would be numerical. (Now the entire article-section pinpoint should go in the orig-section= field.)	Unknown	deprecated
article-type	article-type articletype	For words like "Annex", "Article", "Subsection", to separate from article= field, which would be numerical. (Now the entire article-section pinpoint should go in the orig-section= field.)	String	deprecated
title	title	If title, script-title, and/or trans-title are set, title is passed directly to the CS1 template. If not set, it is instead populated as described in the type parameter. CS1 cite_report sets rft.title metadata	String	optional
type	type act-type	Populates the CS1 type parameter, unless title fields are empty, in which case we set title->type and type->none. Followed by prefix and index number, but specifying these fields may be unnecessary in many cases. No metadata. Suggested values HR HR 173 Decret Decret no. 117 du 2008 HL Deb	String	optional
index	index number docket	The identifier number of the legislation. (This is separate from the id parameter, which is used particularly for directly linking to digital catalog identifiers.) Example 44/R/330 ; XXIV-2008a	String	optional
prefix	prefix	Followed by a non-breaking-space, then the index number. Suggested values No. #	String	optional
italics	italics	If set to any non-empty value, will output the title= CS1 field in italics. (Implemented by changing base template from cite_report to cite_tech_report.) Default null	Boolean	optional
firstpage	firstpage	The first page at which the cited document is found in the reporter publication. Do not include more than one number. This is prepended before the pinpoint pages in the at= parameter.	Number	optional
at	at	no description	Unknown	optional
pinpoint	pinpoint at	Sections and paragraphs (neutral) or pages (non-neutral) in the published source that are being cited by the body text. Suggested values s. IV(a) para. 4 pp. 22, 117-18 ch 3 art vi	String	optional
authority	authority author authority1 author1	The administrative body responsible for producing the act/law/document, that is not otherwise directly an author (use author=) or indirectly a publisher (use publisher= or institution=). Suggested values Subcommittee on Foreign Relations People's Congress	String	optional
orig-date	orig-date	Passed as CS1 parameter and output in brackets next to date= field. May freely carry extra information related to date of debate, enactment, revision, etc. The date= field is for the date of publication in which the source can be found. Suggested values Introduced December 1999 and amended January 2000 Example [<orig-date>] ; [<enact-prefix> <authority> <enact-postfix> <orig-date>] : "Enacted by ANC on 2000-12-31"	String	optional
parallel	parallel	Parallel citation to a published source (reporter/journal), typically when a style requires citing both a neutral/government and commercial publication. Include volume/year and pinpoint of parallel citation, including brackets. Prepended to id= field. Suggested values 12 F. Rep. 20 [1999] UKHL 27 Example <volume/year> <reporter> <pinpoint>, <parallel>, <id>.	String	optional
id	id	As CS1 field, includes any number of digital catalog or other identifiers, including templates. Suggested values OJEU 117 {{CELEX|8881}}	String	optional
mode	mode	As CS1 field. If set to mode=cs2, the sepator between fields is a comma "," and there is no postfix. (Default cs1 separator and full stop is a period "."). Suggested values cs1 cs2 Default cs1	Content	optional
docket	docket	no description	Unknown	optional
orig-section	orig-section	Reference/pinpoint article/chapter/section numbers in the original act/law/document. This is typically a source-neutral format, and is separate from the page= at= pinpoint= fields of the published version of the document. If the section has a text title, put the text in the chapter= field Suggested values art. 4 s. 3(a) ch 5 ss 2 Example <act-type> <prefix> <number>, <orig-section>	String	optional
script-title	script-title	no description	Unknown	optional
trans-title	trans-title	no description	Unknown	optional

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Cite act/doc. (edit | history)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (edit | diff) and testcases (edit) pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.