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Inner Temple Library

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Researching Treaties

Where will I find the text of UK treaties?

 
Free web sources

  • FCO website - www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/publications-and-documents/treaties/ - this has a list of the multilateral treaties for which the UK government is the depositary. Also UK Treaties Online contains links to the texts of Command Papers published in the Treaty Series from 1892 to 1996 inclusive. The texts of treaties published as Command Papers since 1997 are currently accessible only on the Treaty Command Paper and EMs page.

  • Official Documents website - www.official-documents.gov.uk/ - there are Command Papers in full text. Coverage is 2005 onwards.

Hard copy sources

  • The following Inn Libraries hold Command Papers: Inner Temple (1940/41 onwards); Lincolns Inn (1833 onwards) and Middle Temple (1861 onwards).

  • The Inner Temple Library holds British and Foreign State Papers (BFSP) which includes treaties, 1812-1968. Middle Temple holds BFSP 1812-1968 and Lincolns Inn 1812-1832/33.

  • Hertslet's Commercial Treaties (HCT) - covers 1827-1925. Inner Temple, Lincoln's Inn and Middle Temple Libraries hold this series.

  • Index to British Treaties by Parry. This has 3 volumes and covers all treaties from 1101 to 1968. A fourth volume covers 1969-88 and updates the previous 3 volumes. This is arranged chronologically by date of signature. There are subject and country indexes. Command Paper numbers and other citations are given. All the Inns of Court Libraries have this publication.

  • Multilateral Treaties: Index and Current Status by Bowman and Harris. First published in 1984 with supplements covering the period up to 1st January 1994. It includes multilateral treaties where the UK is a party. It is arranged chronologically by date of signature. There is a subject index and an index of keywords used in the treaty title. Command Paper numbers and other citations are given. Inner Temple, Lincolns Inn and Gray's Inn Libraries have this work.

  • Textbooks - the texts of treaties are sometimes found in textbooks, e.g. Brownlie: Basic Documents on Human Rights; Singh: International Maritime Law Conventions; Copinger and Skone James on Copyright; Shawcross and Beaumont on Air Law; Simons Direct Tax Service.

  • Acts and Statutory Instruments - the schedules to Acts and SIs may contain the text of treaties if the treaty is incorporated into domestic law by the piece of legislation.

  • Indexes to government publications - these can be used to track down Command Papers.


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