8.5 Parallel citations[1]

When a decision is published again in another reporter, it acquires a new parallel citation. The number of references of an unspecified decision depends on the number of times that it has been published.

Cases may be reported in several different series, and there is no way of knowing which reporter any given reader will be able to access. For this reason parallel citations are used.
A parallel citation simply provides "directions" to other locations where the relevant case may be found.
Canadian law reporters are ranked in status as either official, semi-official or unofficial. When including parallel citations, arrange these in order from the most official to least official versions. When citing, use official and semiofficial sources before an unofficial source. Refer to the McGill Guide's list of reporter status in Appendix G for more detailed information.

Example: R. v. Carosella, [1997] 1 S.C.R. 80, 142 D.L.R. (4th) 595, 112 C.C.C. (3d) 289.

(This case can be located in the Supreme Court Reports, Dominion Law Reports or Canadian Criminal Cases)

[1] Excerpted from Queen’s University’s Legal Research Manual, online <http://library.queensu.ca/law/lederman/legalcit.htm>. [Accessed August 3, 2007]

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Parallel Citations