How to Prepare a Book of Authorities

A practical guide for lawyers, paralegals, and law clerks

A book of authorities collects the cases, statutes and secondary sources cited in a factum so the judge can read the passages relied on without hunting for them. Courts have moved decisively away from thick books of full-text cases: in Ontario, the Superior Court's practice directions ask for electronic books that hyperlink to authorities where they are freely available (for example on CanLII) and for only the relevant excerpts to be reproduced, with the passages relied on marked. Always confirm the current practice direction for the court and region you are filing in.

What a good book of authorities contains

1. An index listing every authority in the order it appears, with a tab number and a page number, and ideally a hyperlink to the full decision online;
2. The authorities themselves, one behind each tab — either the relevant excerpt (headnote plus the paragraphs relied on) or, where the court requires it, the full text;
3. Highlighting or sidelining of the specific paragraphs cited in the factum, so the judge sees why the case is there;
4. Consecutive page numbers across the whole book.

Choosing what goes in

• Include only authorities actually cited in the factum. A book of authorities is not a research file.
• Lead with the authorities that decide the point; string citations for a settled proposition rarely need their own tabs.
• Where the court accepts hyperlinks in place of copies (CanLII, government statute sites), link rather than reproduce, and keep a copy only for authorities that are not freely available or where a pinpoint passage must be shown.

Tabs and numbering

Books of authorities are conventionally tabbed with numbers (Tab 1, Tab 2) rather than letters, and the factum cites them that way ("Smith v. Jones, Tab 4, para. 31"). Keep the order in the book identical to the order of first citation in the factum so the judge can move through both together. If the factum and the book are prepared by different people, agree the tab list before either is finalised.

Electronic books

• One PDF, bookmarked and with an index whose entries link to each tab.
• Each tab divider page shows the tab number and the name and citation of the authority.
• Page numbers stamped consecutively so "page 212" in the PDF viewer is page 212 in the book.
• Text should be searchable — avoid scanned images of printouts where a native PDF is available.

Checklist before filing

1. Every authority cited in the factum has a tab, and every tab is cited in the factum.
2. Tab numbers in the factum match the book.
3. Passages relied on are highlighted or sidelined.
4. The index links work and the page numbers match the PDF.
5. The format complies with the practice direction of the court you are filing in.

Related guides

• How to Prepare a Motion Record in Ontario
• How to Create a Hyperlinked Table of Contents in a PDF Court Bundle
• Court Bundle Requirements: A Practical Checklist
• How to Prepare an Application Record in Ontario

This guide is general information for legal professionals, not legal advice. Court rules and practice directions change — always confirm the current requirements of the court you are filing in before you file.