Briefly describe the use of Law reports and their importance.

The importance of Law reports within the English Judicial System stem from a variety of interlinking factors, primarily that a core principle of the Legal System is that “the Law is for all” and thus should be accessible. The publication of Law reports, whether the WLR, All ER, The Times, or BAILII, addresses the issue of accessibility for both the public and professional in an accurate and satisfactory manner.

Furthermore, the publication of the case Law, via the use of Law reports, allows for the accurate recording of both the facts behind the decision and the reasoning behind the Judge’s ruling, therefore, allowing for the creation of a reliable precedent which can be referred back to via other legal professionals. Whether they are either Judges in a lower Court (who are bound by the precedent) or simply a Solicitor or Barrister advising a client on a pressing issue which they are facing. Moreover, the Law reports are composed by specialist Lawyers within the profession and will have had the approval of the Judge who handed down the verdict within the case. As a result of this we can accurately rely upon Law reports to be a correct summary of the case and the reasoning behind a potential precedent.