How do I establish whether a case is still good law?

  1. Open the CaseSearch search form.
  2. Locate the case that you are looking for. For example, you can do this by searching for a case by the Case name or its Citation. Fill in the appropriate information and click on Search.
  3. When you have your results displayed, click on the case that you want to review.
  4. For detailed information about the treatment of your case, click on the Cases referring to this case link.

A CaseSearch signal appears next to each case in the list.

Case Overview Signals

Case Overview uses signals to indicate what kind of treatment a case has received and whether it can be relied on as good law. The table below explains the meaning of these signals.

TypeValueDescription
Negative Treatment IconNegative Treatment IconThis indicates that the decision has been subsequently reversed, disapproved or overruled.
Cautionary Treatment IconCautionary Treatment IconThis indicates that the decision has had some doubt cast on it.
Positive Treatment IconPositive Treatment IconThis indicates that the decision has received positive treatment: affirmed, applied, etc.
Neutral Treatment IconNeutral Treatment IconThis indicates that the decision has received neutral or ambivalent treatment: considered, explained, etc.
Citator Information IconInformation IconThis indicates that no treatment has been given--only citation information is available.
Note: Case Overview signals are designed to provide a quick visual indication of how a case has been treated in subsequent judgments. Users should always conduct further research before deciding whether to rely on a specific case in their legal argument.

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