Law (act): how to cite in MLA (8th ed.)?

Create a spot-on reference in MLA 8 and 9

Select a source type:

Book Website Journal article Video (online)

Archival document Blog post Book Book chapter Complete reference Conference paper Copyright certificate Court case Dictionary Dictionary entry Disc Dissertation / Thesis Encyclopedia Encyclopedia article Extended abstract of dissertation Image Journal article Law / Act Newspaper article Patent Podcast Preprint Press release Religious text Report Social media post Software Standard Video (online) Video game Website

Basic rules

To cite a law or another legal act in a list of references in accordance with MLA Style (8th ed.), the following data are to be given: jurisdiction (country) of the law, institution that passed the law, title of the law, number of the law, and date passed. Also, the information on the ‘container’ (website, newspaper, book, etc.) where the law was published is to be added to the reference.

If the name of the institution includes the name of the country, the latter should not be cited separately in the reference.

How to cite in a bibliography

Basic reference template:

Country, Institution. Law Title. Law No., date passed, Container Data.

Examples of references in a list of works cited:

United States, Congress, House. To Establish a Congressional COVID-19 Aid Oversight Panel, to Authorize the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program to Coordinate Audits and Investigations in Connection with the Receipt of Federal Aid Related to COVID-19, and for Other Purposes. Congress.gov, www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6319/text. 116th Congress, 2nd session, House Resolution 6319, Introduced 23 Mar. 2020.

Scottish Parliament. Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (Scotland) Act. No. 2018 asp 3, 24 Jan. 2018, www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2018/3/introduction. Accessed 12 Aug. 2020.

European Union. Decision (EU) 2020/263 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2020 on Computerising the Movement and Surveillance of Excise Goods (Recast). OJ, L 58, 27 Feb. 2020, pp. 43-48.