Three labels worth checking before you cite a foreign statute

You have found the provision on an official website. Before copying it into a memo, open the version information as well. The heading above the text may be answering a different question from the one you have in mind.

Three examples are worth keeping handy.

Australia: check commencement separately. The Federal Register says its “In force” listings also include legislation made but not yet commenced. For the provision you need, check the commencement arrangements in the legislation. Register explanation

Spain: check whether consolidation is complete. BOE’s consolidation-status metadata distinguishes “Finalizado” from “Desactualizado”. The latter means a new version is being prepared to incorporate recent changes. If you encounter it, inspect the amending material before relying on the displayed wording. BOE status definitions

EU: read the date on the consolidated text. EUR-Lex explains that this date reflects when the latest amendment included in that version becomes applicable. It is not the date you opened the page. EUR-Lex guide

For an older transaction or dispute, start with the date relevant to the question. Australia’s Register offers a “Point in time” search for this purpose. Selecting a dated version is a starting point; application and transitional provisions may still need checking. Search instructions

Before closing the tabs, leave a short record for whoever has to revisit the research:

• Law identifier and provision.
• Date the research question concerns.
• Version identifier or date, preferably with a version-specific URL.
• Any commencement, amendment or transition point still unresolved.
• Date you checked the source.

“Latest version” may lead a colleague to a different text next month. Recording the version you actually read makes the work easier to retrace.

Source guidance checked on 21 September 2026. These examples concern the named databases; their labels are not universal definitions.