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Hawai`i Legal Research: Bluebook Citations

Links to online legal resources for researching Hawaii laws.

Historical Note

Historical Note:
  • On January 17, 1893, Queen Liliuokalani abdicated her thrown, ending the monarchy. Between the overthrow on January 17, 1893 and July 4, 1894 when the Republic of Hawaii was proclaimed (following the Constitutional Convention of May 30, 1894), a “provisional government” was in place.
  • On July 7, 1898, President McKinley signed the Newlands Resolution of 1898, which officially annexed Hawaii to the United States; thus, the Republic of Hawaii become the Territory of Hawaii.
  • On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the union.

Citations

Hawaiʻi (HI) – Table 1.3[1]

http://www.courts.state.hi.us

Supreme Court 1959-date (Haw.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d, if therein.
(Aug. 21, 1959-date)

Ø  Pacific Reporter                                              1959-date        P.2d, P.3d
(begins 352 P.2d 329)

Ø  West’s Hawaiʻi Reports                                  1994-date        Haw.
(begins vol. 76)

Ø  Hawaiʻi Reports                                              1959-date        Haw.
(begins 44 Haw. 1)

Kingdom Cases 1847-1893 (Haw. King.)
(1847-Jan. 16, 1893)

Ø  Hawaiian Reports (Vols. 1-8)                         1847-1893       Haw.

Provisional Government 1893-1894 (Haw. Prov. Gov.)
(Jan. 17, 1893-July 3, 1894)

Ø  Hawaiian Reports (Vol. 9)                              1893-1894       Haw.

Republic of Hawaii 1894-1898 (Haw. Rep.)
(July 4, 1894-July 6, 1898)

Ø  Hawaiian Reports (Vols. 9-12)                       1894-1898       Haw.

Territory of Hawaii 1898-1959 (Haw. Terr.)
(July 7, 1898-Aug. 20, 1959)

Ø  Hawaiian Reports (Vols. 13-19)                     1898-1919       Haw.

Ø  Hawai'i Reports (Vols. 20-43)                        1920-1959       Haw.

Intermediate Court of Appeals (Haw. Ct. App.): Cite to P.2d or P.3d, if therein.
(May 6, 1980-date)

Ø  Pacific Reporter                                              1980-date        P.2d, P.3d
(begins 611 P.2d 117)

Ø  West’s Hawaiʻi Reports                                  1994-date        Haw.
(begins vol. 76)

Ø  Hawaiʻi Appellate Reports                             1980-1994       Haw. App.
(Vols. 1-10) (May 6, 1980-Sept. 19, 1994)

Statutory Compilations in print: Cite to Haw. Rev. Stat., if therein.

Ø  Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes                         Haw. Rev. Stat. § x-x (<year>)
(1968-date)

Ø  Michie’s Hawaiʻi Revised
Statutes Annotated (LexisNexis)             Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x-x (LexisNexis <year>)

Ø  West’s Hawaiʻi Revised
Statutes Annotated                                   Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § x-x (West <year>)

 

[1] Table 1.3 for Hawaiʻi does not take into consideration the historical materials prior to statehood in 1959.  Given that numerous researchers and writers continue to use documents from pre-statehood, the Hawaiian jurisdiction needed revision.  Also, the statutory compilation by West did not include “Ann.” in its abbreviation, which seemed to be not in keeping with other unofficial codes in other jurisdictions and was most likely an oversight by the Editors of the 19th edition of The Bluebook. – Roberta F. Woods, J.D., Reference & Instructional Services Librarian, William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.  Sept. 14, 2012.

HAWAII SUPREME COURT
Pre-statehood cases:

Identify the court in the parenthetical as follows:

  • On and before 01/16/1893: Haw. Kingdom
  • Between 01/17/1893 and 07/03/1894: Haw. Prov. Gov.
  • Between 07/04/1894 and 07/06/1898: Haw. Rep.
  • Between 07/07/1898 and 08/20/1959: Haw. Terr.
  • From 08/21/1959 to the present: Haw. or Hawaii

e.g.: In re Kamaka’s Estate, 8 Haw. 535 (Haw. Kingdom 1892).

Official Hawaii Reports (volumes 1-75):
  • Hawaii’s official reporter, Hawaii or Hawaiian Reports, is comprised of 75 volumes. Use “Haw.” for volumes 1 through 75, including a parallel citation to the Pacific Reporter, if available (i.e., affects cases after 1959 and involves volumes 44 through 75).

e.g.: Lum v. Sun, 70 Haw. 288, 769 P.2d 1091 (1989).

West Publishing Company Volumes (after 75 Haw.):
  • Beginning with volume 76, all supreme court decisions are published by West Publishing Company in West’s Hawaii Reports. Use “Hawaii” for the West-volumes, including a parallel citation to the Pacific Reporter.

e.g.: State v. Hicks, 113 Hawaii 60, 148 P.3d 493 (2006).