Searching on judy.legal
The search functionality is the primary way to discover cases and legislation on judy.legal. Whether you're looking for specific case law or browsing legislation, our search tools help you find relevant content quickly.
Basic Search
To perform a search:
- Enter your search query in the search bar at the top of the page
- Select whether you want to search Cases or Legislation using the tabs
- Choose your country from the dropdown (this affects which database is searched)
- Press Enter or click the search button
Search Tips:
- Use natural language queries like "what is circumstantial evidence" or "elements of fraud"
- Include specific legal terms for more precise results
- Keep queries concise but descriptive
Search Suggestions
As you type, judy.legal provides intelligent suggestions to help you find content faster:
- Recent Searches: Your previous searches appear when the search bar is focused
- Case Suggestions: Matching case titles with court information
- Legislation Suggestions: Matching legislation titles
Click any suggestion to navigate directly to that document, or continue typing to refine your search.
Understanding Search Results
Case Results
Each case result displays:
- Case Title: The name of the case (parties involved)
- Court: The court that decided the case
- Date: When the judgment was delivered
- Citation: The official case citation
- Country: The jurisdiction
- Highlighted Excerpts: Relevant passages from the case matching your search
Legislation Results
Each legislation result displays:
- Title: The name of the act or law
- Status Badge: Shows if legislation has been repealed
- Country: The jurisdiction
- Highlighted Excerpts: Relevant sections matching your search
Filtering Your Results
Advanced filters help you narrow down search results to find exactly what you need. Filters are available in the sidebar on desktop or via the filter button on mobile.
Country Filter
Select which jurisdiction to search:
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- Kenya
- United Kingdom
- Other available jurisdictions
Note: Access to certain countries may require a subscription add-on.
Court Filter (Cases Only)
Filter cases by the court that decided them:
- Supreme Court: Highest court decisions
- Court of Appeal: Appellate court decisions
- High Court: High court decisions
- All Courts: Search across all courts
The available courts change based on your selected country.
Subject Matter Filter (Cases Only)
Filter by legal subject areas such as:
- Contract
- Criminal Law
- Land Law
- Torts
- Constitutional Law
- And many more...
The subject matter filter shows how many results match each category, helping you identify the most relevant areas.
Date Filter (Cases Only)
Narrow results by time period:
- Any time: All available cases
- Since 2015: Recent cases from the last decade
- Since 2000: Cases from this millennium
- Custom Range: Specify exact start and end years
Switching Between Cases and Legislation
Use the tabs above your search results to switch between:
- Cases: Court judgments and decisions
- Legislation: Acts, laws, and statutory instruments
Note: When switching from Cases to Legislation, filters specific to cases (court, subject matter, date) are automatically cleared.
Loading More Results
After viewing initial results, click "Load more results" at the bottom to see additional matches. Results are loaded in batches to ensure fast page performance.
Subscription Access
- Free users: Can view the first 2 case results and basic legislation
- Subscribers: Have full access to all results and advanced filtering options
Upgrade your subscription to unlock unlimited search results and all filtering capabilities.