About Search the Law

Search the Law is a free legal research tool that searches eight official UK government databases simultaneously. It was built to give everyone — from self-representing litigants to practising barristers — fast, reliable access to the law.

Why this exists

Legal research in the UK is dominated by Westlaw and LexisNexis, both costing upwards of £100 per month per seat. This puts authoritative legal research out of reach for most individuals, small practices, and advice charities. It means that self-representing litigants — people who cannot afford a solicitor and must navigate the courts alone — often have no practical way to research the law that applies to their case.

This tool changes that. By searching official government databases — the same primary sources that Westlaw and LexisNexis index — and using AI to translate plain English queries into effective legal search terms, it makes serious legal research accessible to anyone with a web browser.

What makes this different

Verified sources only. Every result comes from an official government database: the National Archives (Find Case Law), legislation.gov.uk, Hansard, GOV.UK, the Tribunals Decisions Service, the Law Commission, and the House of Commons Library. No results are AI-generated. There are no hallucinated cases.

AI-powered search, not AI-generated results. AI translates your plain English query into formal legal search terms and runs parallel searches across all eight sources. It also explains judgments in plain English when you ask. But the underlying results are always real cases, real legislation, and real government documents.

Relevance filtering. A three-tier filtering system (court-type targeting, keyword scoring, and AI reranking) ensures that irrelevant results are filtered out before you see them. If you search for a property dispute, you won't see criminal cases or patent law.

Citation extraction. When you view a case, the tool automatically identifies every case cited in the judgment and every piece of legislation referenced, with direct links to those sources.

Data sources and licences

Find Case Law (The National Archives) — court judgments. Open Justice Licence.

legislation.gov.uk — Acts and Statutory Instruments. Open Government Licence v3.0.

GOV.UK — official guidance. Open Government Licence v3.0.

Hansard — parliamentary debates. Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Tribunals Decisions Service — Upper Tribunal (IAC) decisions.

Law Commission — law reform reports and consultations.

House of Commons Library — research briefings.

Important disclaimer

Search the Law is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and is not a substitute for qualified legal representation. The information provided is for research purposes only. Always seek professional legal advice for your specific circumstances. If you cannot afford a solicitor, contact Citizens Advice, a Law Centre, or check your eligibility for legal aid.