British and Irish Legal Information Institute BAILII

Overview

The British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII) is a non-profit organisation and online database providing free public access to British and Irish legal materials, including case law, legislation, and related legal documentation. BAILII is one of the most comprehensive freely accessible legal information resources in the United Kingdom and Ireland, covering materials spanning eight centuries of common law.

History and Founding

BAILII was established in 2000 as a not-for-profit organisation, modelled on the successful Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII), which pioneered free online access to legal information. BAILII is operated by the BAILII Charity and is supported by law schools, bar associations, and other legal institutions in the UK and Ireland. It forms part of the global Free Access to Law Movement (FALM) alongside similar institutes in other jurisdictions.

Collections and Holdings

BAILII hosts an extensive collection of legal materials including decisions from the UK Supreme Court, House of Lords, Court of Appeal, High Court, and courts from England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. The database also includes European Court of Human Rights decisions, historical case law dating to the medieval period, primary legislation, and treaty materials. For media and journalism researchers, BAILII is a critical resource for accessing case law relating to press freedom, defamation, privacy, media regulation, and freedom of information.

Access and Usage

BAILII is freely accessible online at bailii.org without subscription or registration. The full text of decisions and legislation is available for search, browsing, and download. The service is funded through voluntary contributions from law firms, bar associations, and other supporters rather than through user fees.