Commonwealth Law Reports


The Commonwealth Law Reports are the authorised reports of decisions of the High Court of Australia. The Commonwealth Law Reports are published by the Lawbook Company, a division of Thomson Reuters. James Merralls AM QC was the editor of the Reports from 1969 until his death in 2016. The current editors are Paul Vout KC and Peter Willis SC.
Each reported judgment includes a headnote written by an expert reporter which, as an authorised report, has been approved by the High Court. The current reporters are as follows:
The headnotes include a summary of counsel's legal arguments. The Reports also include tables of cases reported, affirmed, reversed, overruled, applied or judicially commented on and cited.
The Reports are available in PDF format from Westlaw AU. Scans of the first 100 volumes of the Reports, covering cases from 1903 to 1959, were freely published on the High Court's website and on BarNet JADE as part of the One-100 project.

Editors and reporters

The editors of the Commonwealth Law Reports from time to time have been as follows:
#EditorVolumesYears
1James C Anderson1–181903–1914
2Alfred H Hayball19–501914–1934
3E F Healy49–641933–1941
4H Headen Cuthbert 51–581934–1937
5B Sugerman KC64–701940–1945
6B P Macfarlan QC70–991945–1958
7R A Howell99–1201957–1970
8A J Leslie 1141965
9M G Morley 117–1221967–1970
10J D Merralls AM QC118–2571968–2016
11C J Horan KC256–2752016–2024
12P T Vout KC256–2016–
13P G Willis SC276–2024–

The reporters of the Commonwealth Law Reports from time to time have been as follows:
#ReporterVolumesYears
1W A Barton11903–1904
2Bennet Langton1–411903–1929
3H E Manning1–31903–1906
4C A White1–101903–1910
5N G Pilcher3–41905–1907
6H V Jaques5–121908–1911
7C E Weigall9–121910–1911
8Norman McGhie16–191912–1915
9D Gavan Duffy17–201913–1915
10A L Campbell18–191914–1915
11R T Gore20–221915–1917
12C A Weston21–261915–1919
13Neil McTague25–381918–1927
14J L Wassell30–391921–1927
15P V Feltham38–391926–1927
16E F Healy39–42, 66–861926–1930, 1942–1953
17G S Reed39–401926–1928
18B J Jeffries39–901926–1954
19Joseph Bales40–1041927–1961
20H Dallas Wiseman41–661928–1943
21C C Brebner41–831928–1951
22R C Wright44–791930–1949
23Oliver J Gillard62–681939–1944
24B Buller Murphy661942–1943
25F T P Burt QC78–1021948–1960
26J R Rex79–871949–1953
27Brian Hunter83–1251950–1971
28Russell D Barton86–1021952–1960
29G D Needham88–931953–1956
30M G Everett88–951953–1957
31R A Howell90–981953–1958
32W J Cuthbert91–921954–1955
33J M Macrossan93–951954–1957
34T J Lehane96–1111956–1964
35G H Smith99–1051957–1961
36Richard H Searby99–1031957–1960
37C S C Sheller101–1141959–1966
38J D Merralls103–1171959–1968
39G A Kennedy103–1391959–1978
40R K Todd103–1041959–1961
41J D Phillips104–1091960–1964
42R C Tadgell105–1081960–1963
43R L Hunter106–1111961–1964
44B M Debelle QC106–1541961–1984
45C Brettingham-Moore106–1201961–1970
46I C F Spry109–1341963–1976
47R Smart112–1141964–1966
48Rodney Parker112–1151964–1966
49M G Morley112–1271964–1972
50Michael Lazar115–1161965–1967
51Peter R Graham116–1191966–1970
52Naida Haxton116–1231966–1971
53R A Sundberg QC118–1831968–1995
54G K Downes120–1401969–1978
54H G Fryberg QC120–1541969–1984
55R M Webster121–1401969–1978
56A C Archibald129–1361972–1977
57R C Macaw133–1441974–1980
58M W D White133–1521974–1983
59C J S M Carr137–1771976–1993
60J H Karkar141–1591978–1985
61J G Santamaria141–1681978–1990
62J M Bennett155–1821983–1995
63M Sloss166–1821988–1995
64J D Elliott173–1971991–1999
65K H Bell QC183–1891994–1997
66G S Clarke SC183–2521994–2014
67S G E McLeish183–2211994–2005
68D S Mortimer183–1901994–1997
69C M Caleo188–2081996–2002
70G B Johnston188–1951996–1999
71M K Moshinsky SC189–2311997–2007
72W A Harris1901997
73D J Batt193–2231998–2005
74M Y Bearman193–2501998–2013
75P D Crutchfield194–2201998–2005
76J E Richards194–2281998–2006
77P G Willis SC199–256, 2691999–2016, 2019
78D W Bennett202–2082000–2002
79L G De Ferrari209–2422001–2011
80C J Horan KC209–2562001–2016
81P T Vout209–2562001–2016
82S P Donaghue210–2202003–2005
83G J Ahern221–2422006–2011
84M I Borsky222–2572006–2016
85E M Kingston223–2352005–2008
86C K M Lye224–2502005–2013
87J A Redwood224–2582005–2016
88C G Button227–2562005–2016
89D F C Thomas227–2402005–2010
90A D Pound SC232–2772008–2024
91C P Young235–2562007–2016
92P D Herzfeld240–2572009–2016
93N M Wood243–2632011–2014
94B W Jellis244–2542011–2015
95A M Dinelli KC246–2672012–2020
96A F Solomon-Bridge248–2012–
97C J Tran253–2702013–2021
98H A Tiplady255–2632014–2018
99R Chaile258–2015–
100M A Hosking258–2682015–2020
101J A G McComish258–2015–
102S Zeleznikow258–2702015–2021
103O M Ciolek259–2722016–2022
104R W Kruse259–2712016–2022
105M J Wells259–2016–
106R Withana260–2016–
107J Anthony-Shaw261–2622016–2018
108W J Newland268-2019-
109E J Delany268–2762019–2024
110J D Williams269–2762020–2024
111D J Reynolds271–2020–
112B D Kaplan SC270–2021–
113J R Wang271–2021–
114S D Puttick273–2023–
115J Patela274–2023–
116A Terzic278–2024–
117H Canham280–2024–
118M Roberts280–2024–