The Reader Interface
When you open a case or legislation on judy.legal, you'll use our reader interface designed to help you navigate legal documents efficiently.
Reading Cases
Case Header
At the top of every case, you'll find:
- Case Title: The full name of the case
- Court: Which court decided the case
- Date: When judgment was delivered
- Citation: The official JELR citation (click to copy)
- Other Citations: Alternative citations if available
Editorial Summary
Many cases include an Editorial Summary at the beginning, written by our legal team. This provides a quick overview of:
- The key facts of the case
- The main legal issues
- The court's decision
Look for the boxed section labeled "EDITORIAL SUMMARY" before the main judgment text.
Judges (Coram)
The Coram section lists the judges who decided the case. Click on a judge's name to view their profile with statistics about their judicial career.
Main Content
The full judgment text follows, including:
- Background and facts
- Arguments presented
- Court's analysis and reasoning
- Final decision and orders
Case Tabs
Cases have multiple tabs to help you access different information:
Read Tab
The main judgment text with all content from the case.
Ratio Decidendi Tab
This tab shows the key legal principles established in the case:
- Each principle is categorized by legal subject
- Click "View passage" to see the exact quote in a popup
- Click "Scroll to passage" to jump to that section in the main text
- Principles link to our knowledge base where you can find related cases
Citing Cases Tab
See which other cases have cited this judgment:
- View the exact quote used in the citing case
- Click the case title to read the citing case
- Understand how this case has influenced later decisions
Reading Legislation
Legislation Header
At the top of legislation, you'll find:
- Title: The name of the act or law
- Country: The jurisdiction
- Status: Whether the legislation is current, amended, or repealed
Table of Contents
Use the Table of Contents to navigate long legislation:
- Click the TOC icon to expand/collapse the navigation
- Click any section to jump directly to it
- Sections are organized hierarchically (Parts, Chapters, Sections)
Amendments & Repeals
If legislation has been amended:
- Amendment information appears at the top
- Shows which acts made amendments and when
- Indicates if sections have been repealed
Section Navigation
- Each section is clearly numbered
- Click section numbers in the TOC to navigate
- Use the scroll bar to move through the document
Legal Terms
When you see a highlighted legal term, click it to see its definition in a popup panel.
Reader Toolbar
The toolbar at the top of the reader provides quick access to useful features:
Find Within
Search for specific text within the current document:
- Click the Find icon (magnifying glass with document)
- Type your search term
- Use the arrows to navigate between matches
- Press Escape to close
Download PDF
Download a PDF version of the document for offline reading or printing. Requires Plus Plan subscription.
Share
Share the document with others:
- Click the Share icon
- Copy the generated link
- Share via email, messaging, or social media
Highlight & Annotate
Select text and use the toolbar to:
- Highlight: Mark important passages for later reference
- Comment: Add notes and annotations to specific text
See the Annotations documentation for more details.
Progress Indicator
As you scroll through a document, a progress bar appears at the top showing how far through the content you've read.
Tips for Effective Reading
- Start with the Editorial Summary for cases to get an overview
- Use the Ratio Decidendi tab to quickly find key legal principles
- Check Citing Cases to see how a judgment has been applied
- Use the Table of Contents for legislation to navigate efficiently
- Highlight important passages to build your research collection