Legal research with sources: why every answer needs one
This article is general information, not legal advice.
What a legal source is, primary and secondary sources, where Indian laws and judgments are published, and why an answer without a source is risky.
Two answers to one question
Imagine asking the same legal question twice and getting two answers. Both are clear and confident. The first ends there. The second adds one line: the Act and section it relies on, with a link to the text.
You cannot yet tell which answer is right. But you can check only the second one. That is the whole case for legal research with sources, and it is the reason AI Lawyer's planned research feature is meant to show its sources with every answer.
This article explains what a legal source is, the difference between primary and secondary sources, where Indian law is published, and how to read a source well. It is general information, not legal advice.
What a source is
A source is the place an answer comes from. In legal research it should be specific enough that someone else can find it: the name of the Act and the section, the rule and its number, or the court, the parties and the date of a judgment.
A vague source, such as "Indian law says" or "courts have held", is not a source. It is a claim that a source exists.
Primary and secondary sources
Legal sources come in two broad kinds.
Primary sources are the law itself. They include Acts passed by Parliament and the state legislatures, the rules, regulations and notifications made under those Acts, and judgments of the courts.
Secondary sources explain the law. They include textbooks, commentaries, articles, guides and blog posts like this one. They are useful for understanding and for finding the primary sources, but they are not the law, and they can be out of date or wrong.
A strong answer points to a primary source, or at least to a secondary source that itself names the primary one.
Where Indian law is published
Several official sources are free to use:
- India Code is the Government of India's official repository of central and state Acts, with their rules and notifications.
- The Gazette of India publishes official notifications, and is available online through the eGazette portal.
- The Supreme Court publishes its judgments on its website, and High Courts publish theirs on their own sites.
- The eCourts services portal provides case status, orders and judgments for many courts.
When an answer cites a law, these are the places to read it.
Reading a source well
Finding the source is half the work. Reading it well is the other half.
- Read around the quoted line. Definitions, exceptions and provisos often sit nearby and change the meaning.
- Check the version. Laws are amended. Look for amendment notes and the date of the text you are reading.
- Check what kind of source it is. An Act, a rule and a judgment carry different weight, and a judgment may have been appealed or overruled.
- Check that it is Indian law, and the right state's law where states differ.
The five questions for checking an AI legal answer turn these steps into a quick routine.
Why unsourced answers are risky
An answer without a source asks you to trust it. With legal questions, that trust is easy to misplace. AI tools in particular can produce answers that sound authoritative but rest on outdated rules, foreign law or citations that do not exist. A source turns trust into something you can verify yourself, or hand to an advocate to verify.
Sources do not make an answer complete or correct on their own, and they do not turn information into advice. They make the answer checkable, which is the most a research tool can honestly offer. This website applies the same rule to itself: how we write and fact-check our articles explains how.
How AI Lawyer is planned to work
AI Lawyer's planned research feature lets you ask a question in plain language and get research with its sources shown. It will not promise that research is complete or correct; the sources are there so answers can be checked. For advice on your own matter, the plan is to direct you to a qualified advocate. It is planned, with no code yet. Professional users can read the page for law firms and in-house legal teams, and everyone can read how AI Lawyer is planned to work.
Key takeaways
- Primary sources are the law itself: Acts, rules, notifications and judgments.
- Secondary sources explain the law, and are useful, but are not the law.
- Indian Acts are published on India Code; notifications in the Gazette of India; judgments on court websites.
- An answer that shows its source can be checked. One that does not cannot.
Questions
What is a primary legal source?
The law itself: Acts passed by Parliament or a state legislature, the rules and notifications made under them, and judgments of the courts.
Where can I find Indian court judgments?
The Supreme Court and the High Courts publish judgments on their websites, and the eCourts services portal provides case status and orders for many courts.
