JADE indexes legislation from 128 Australian jurisdictions — Commonwealth, state, and territory. Here’s how to find what you need quickly.

Use the citation if you have it

The fastest path is always the citation. Type the act name and section number directly into the search bar. JADE recognises most standard formats:

• Corporations Act 2001 s 180 — takes you straight to the director’s duty of care provision
• Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 76 — jurisdiction qualifiers work too
• Criminal Code (Qld) s 302 — state codes with section numbers

You don’t need to be precise about spacing or capitalisation. JADE will figure out what you mean.

Browse by jurisdiction

If you’re exploring rather than searching, use the legislation browser. Select your jurisdiction from the dropdown, then drill into the act you need. This is useful when you’re not sure exactly which provision covers your issue.

Three things most people don’t know

1. JADE shows you the current version by default. If you need a historical version (for example, the law as it stood when an offence was committed), look for the version selector. You can compare any two versions side by side with the legislation comparison tool.

2. Section citations appear on the right. When you’re viewing a provision, expand the Section Citations panel. You’ll see every case that has judicially considered that section, traced to the exact paragraph. This is a Professional feature and it’s the fastest way to find relevant authorities.

3. You can set alerts on individual sections. If you’re monitoring a provision that might be amended or judicially considered, set an alert. JADE will email you when something changes. Go to My JADE > Alerts to set one up.

Common search patterns

Looking for a provision but can’t remember the exact section number? Try searching for the act name plus a keyword from the provision’s heading. For example, “Corporations Act misleading conduct” will surface relevant sections even without the number.

For regulations and subordinate legislation, the same search principles apply — JADE indexes rules, regulations, and orders alongside primary legislation.