Guides: International Environmental Law Research Guide: Foreign Statutes and Regulations

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Foreign Statutes and Regulations

Locating foreign statutes can be challenging. While many foreign governments make their statutes and regulations available on free, official government websites, very few provide English translations. Fortunately, there are many great sources for foreign environmental law. The Library has some countries’ codes in print; for example, to find the Environmental Code of Germany, try searching the online catalog using a search phrase such as environmental code Germany.

The sources listed below are recommended starting points for locating foreign statutes and regulations. For more information on foreign law research more generally, please see our Foreign & Comparative Law Research Guide.

Compendium of Environmental Laws of African Countries
Though now somewhat dated, this multivolume work gathers environmental law from across Africa.
Conservation in Sustainable Development
Regularly-updated looseleaf that tracks developments in conservation law.
ECOLEX
A free database from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. (FAO), ECOLEX includes treaties, national legislation and court decisions. Allows filtering by geographic region, country, type of court, etc.
Foreign Law Guide
With guides to researching the law of most of the countries in the world, Foreign Law Guide is one of the best sources to consult when researching foreign law. It includes information on the available sources of a country’s laws and court decisions, often with bibliographic citations to legislation on selected subjects and citations of major cases. English translations of laws and secondary sources in English are cited when available.
GlobaLex
Another excellent starting point for researching foreign law is GlobaLex. A free website with guides to researching the law of most countries in the world, GlobaLex offers similar coverage to Foreign Law Guide with a somewhat different approach. Includes information on the available sources of a country’s law and typically includes references to English-language resources when available.
LawInfo China
LawInfoChina is an English-language web site that publishes Chinese statutes, regulations, cases, government policies, legal news, treaties, law review articles, and law links.
SCC Online (Laws from India)
SCC Online is a subscription database that provides access to case law issued by federal and state courts in India; statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations enacted at both the federal and state levels; and selected secondary sources on Indian law. Multiple search options are supported, including retrieving by citation or party name. Note: First-time users must register and create an account using a Georgetown Law email address; returning users should enter a Georgetown Law email address to log in. No password is required.

International Environmental Law Research Guide

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Foreign Statutes and Regulations