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6.06 Legal references

In legal texts italicize the names of statutes and court cases:

  • the Official Languages Act
  • the Divorce Act
  • Annan v. Canada (M.C.I.)
  • Robson v. Chrysler Corporation

Do not italicize short forms such as "the Act" or "the Charter."

See also 6.10 Identifying matter.

6.10 Identifying matter

Italicize:

  • letters referring to subdivisions of a statute or other regulatory document:
    • Paragraph 42(2)(e) of the Canada Business Corporations Act
    • In accordance with paragraph (f) of CFAO 19-27/H . . .
  • letters referring to lines of verse (rhyme schemes):
    • The Shakespearean sonnet has an abab, cdcd, efef, gg rhyme scheme.
  • letter symbols or words used in legends to illustrations, drawings, photographs, etc. or within the body of the text to identify parts of the item concerned. Such words as top, bottom, left, right, above, below, left to right and clockwise from left are frequently encountered in this context:
    • United States envoy Holbrook, left, greets his Russian counterpart, Vitaly Churkin, in the Serbian capital.