Research · Citator
A case citator built into every Australian judgment
A citator tells you what happened to a case after it was decided: how later courts have applied, distinguished or overruled it. In Barrister AI it is part of the case page, not a separate product.
Last updated 9 November 2026
In short
- Case pages have a Cases citing this decision section listing later judgments in the database that cite them.
- Paid plans add a fuller view of later judicial consideration of the decision.
- A citator is a signpost. Read the later cases that matter before you rely on an authority.
How the Barrister AI citator works
- Cases citing this decision: case pages list the later judgments in the database that cite them, so you can move forward in time from any authority.
- Authorities cited: each headnote lists the cases the judgment itself relied on, so you can move back to its sources.
- Later judicial consideration: on paid plans, a fuller view of how later courts have dealt with the decision.
- New decisions daily: new judgments are added and summarised as they are handed down, so recent citing cases appear without a separate search.
Judicial treatment terms
Citators describe how a later case treated an earlier one with a small set of terms. These are the ones you will meet most often:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Applied | A later court used the principle to decide the case before it. |
| Followed | A later court treated the case as binding or persuasive authority on materially similar facts. |
| Considered | Discussed in some detail, without being applied or departed from. |
| Cited | Mentioned, without significant discussion. |
| Distinguished | Held not to apply because the facts or issues were materially different. |
| Not followed | A court of equal or lower standing declined to follow it. |
| Overruled | A higher court (or the same court) held it was wrongly decided. It is no longer good law on that point. |
| Reversed | The decision itself was set aside on appeal. |
A routine for checking a case is still good law
- Confirm the citation and the court. Is this the decision you think it is, and what is its precedential weight for your court?
- Check the appeal history. A first-instance decision may have been reversed or varied on appeal.
- Open the cases citing it and read the negative treatment first: overruled, not followed, doubted, distinguished.
- Look for later legislation that has changed the law the case applied.
- Read the paragraphs of the later cases that deal with your proposition. A label is a signpost, not a holding.
- Pinpoint the paragraph you rely on, so the court and your opponent can check it.
Frequently asked questions
Does Barrister AI have a case citator?
Yes. Case pages have a Cases citing this decision section listing later judgments in the database that cite them, and paid plans add a fuller view of later judicial consideration.
What does a case citator do?
It records what happened to a case after it was decided: its appeal history, and how later cases have treated it, for example by applying, distinguishing or overruling it.
How do I know if a case has been overruled?
Check the later cases citing it for negative treatment such as overruled or not followed, check its appeal history, and read the later judgments themselves.
General information, not legal advice. See our editorial policy for how this page is sourced and reviewed, and how to report an error.
See who has cited a case
Open any judgment to see the later cases citing it, and the authorities it relied on.
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