Judgment writing.

Judgment writing is not a topic on which hard and fast rules can be laid down for unwavering application. The resources on this page provide guidance on writing reasons for judgment, including style and writing guides, and views from experts on what good judgment writing looks like.

Guidance on judgment writing.

The following resources are guidance materials only. There will inevitably be times in which what follows will not apply to your writing and it will be perfectly acceptable to write in the way best suited to developing reasons in the circumstances of the specific case.

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    Judgment Writing Guide

    Our guide provides some broad suggestions for writing reasons for judgment.
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    Some judgment writing essentials.

    Produced by the Honourable Kim Hargrave, this guide is designed to help judges prepare written judgments which are routinely structured so that the reasons for decision disclose the path of reasoning leading to the result on each issue in the case.
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Those who prefer it can also download a text only version of the Judgment writing guide.

Style guides.

These guides are an indispensable aid for anyone who prepares legal documents. They provide detailed, authoritative advice on grammar, style, punctuation, capitalisation, spelling, footnotes, and citations.

Judicial and academic commentary on judgment writing.

Senior judicial officers and academics present their thoughts on judgment writing.

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    Judgment Writing – Justice Roslyn Atkinson AO.

    Remarks of the Honourable Justice Roslyn Atkinson AO at the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration Conference.
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    Seven Steps To Clearer Judgment Writing.

    The Honourable Justice Linda Dessau AC CVO, (formerly) Family Court of Australia.
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    Applying reason to Reasons - start, middle and the end.

    The Honourable Justice Michelle Gordon AC’s, High Court of Australia, speech at the Australian Government Solicitors’ Administrative Law Forum.
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    Some Thoughts on Writing Judgments in, and for, Contemporary Australia.

    The Honourable Chief Justice Debbie Mortimer shares some thoughts on judgment writing, asking whether judges are writing for contemporary Australia.
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    Judicial Decisions: Crafting Clear Reasons.

    A compendium of judicial thinking from across the country compiled by the National Judicial College of Australia.
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    The Architecture of Argument.

    This essay by Professor James C Raymond was published in The Judicial Review: Journal of the Judicial Commission of New South Wales.
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    Plain English.

    Judgment writing expert, Professor James C Raymond unpacks 'Plain English' in a chapter taken from the Philippine Judicial Academy Judicial Journal.
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    Why Can’t Lawyers Write Like Katherine Mansfield?

    Professor James C Raymond's essay was presented at the New Zealand Law Conference.
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    Who are judges writing for?

    Compared with judgments from other jurisdictions Australian judgments tend to be long and complex. This article by law professor Vicki Waye explores why and also considers the style of modern legal communication in Australia more broadly.
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    Adequate, sufficient and excessive reasons.

    Transcript of the Honourable Justice (formerly) Mark Weinberg AO's speech at Judicial College of Victoria.
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Podcasts

Recommended reading.