Law bibItems: Repeated references
Only mark up the first instance of a reference within a numbered section or note in a bibItem element. Do not mark up further instances of the same reference within the same section or note.
If the reference is repeated in a separate numbered section or note, mark it up in a bibItem element.
If the second occurrence of a reference is to a different provision of the document being referred to, mark it up in a bibItem element.
In some cases, the reference may appear in an abbreviated format. Read the surrounding text and ensure that incomplete references are given the correct attribute values. Copy missing values (for example the full title and citation, and the link type) in second and subsequent instances from the first instance.
Use sameTarget on a bibItem where a reference to the same target exists earlier in the document. Use sameTargetRoot on a bibItem where the earlier reference refers to the same instrument but not exactly the same section.
Use the sameTarget attribute if one of the following criteria is true:
- It refers to the same section of a document as a previous reference (e.g. a second reference to a particular provision of an instrument)
- It refers to an entire document, and there is a previous reference to the same entire document
Use the sameTargetRoot attribute if both of the following criteria are true:
- It refers to a provision of an instrument, and there is a previous reference to the parent instrument (no sectRef attribute) or a different provision of the same instrument (different value of the sectRef attribute). If a reference to the parent instrument and a reference to a different provision of the same instrument are present, use the bibItem ID of the reference to the parent instrument in the sameTargetRoot attribute.
- The bibItem does not qualify for a sameTarget attribute, according to the previous criteria
The value of both these attributes is the id value of the previous reference.
Only one reference to a section of a document (or to an entire document) should appear as a value of sameTarget. Similarly, only one reference to (a provision of) an instrument should appear as a value of sameTargetRoot.
References to cases are all to be regarded as references to an entire document (even if the reference mentions e.g. a specific paragraph of the judgment), i.e. case references should only ever have the sameTarget attribute, and never sameTargetRoot.
A reference to a case should not use sameTarget to point to a reference that is to a different procedural stage of the same case.
The other attributes of bibItem should still be copied from the first instance.