Pinpoint References

Pointing your reader to the exact page, paragraph, section or timestamp you relied on.

A pinpoint reference tells your reader exactly where to find the information you’re relying on within a source.

Instead of citing an entire case, book or article, a pinpoint directs the reader to the specific page, paragraph, section or timestamp that supports your statement.

In AGLC4, you should include a pinpoint whenever you’re referring to a specific part of a source, which is almost always.

Where does the pinpoint go?

The pinpoint comes immediately after the citation.

For most sources, it is not preceded by words like p, pg or at. Note that at is only used when referring back to the same source later in the same footnote.

Correct

Thornton v Galloway Marine Holdings Pty Ltd (2003) 211 CLR 42, 57.

Incorrect

✗ Thornton v Galloway Marine Holdings Pty Ltd (2003) 211 CLR 42, p 57.

Incorrect

✗ Thornton v Galloway Marine Holdings Pty Ltd (2003) 211 CLR 42, at 57.

Pages and paragraphs

The way you write a pinpoint depends on the type of source.

Pages

Simply use the page number.

1Thornton v Galloway Marine Holdings Pty Ltd (2003) 211 CLR 42, 57.

Paragraphs

Use the paragraph number in square brackets.

Don’t write para before the number.

2Re Alderton [No 2] [2019] HCA 7, [57].

Pages and paragraphs together

If a source has both page numbers and paragraph numbers, include both, with the page number first.

Citation, page [paragraph].

Pinpoint ranges

If you’re referring to more than one page or paragraph, use an en dash (–) to show the range.

Page ranges

Page ranges are shortened where possible.

57–8 for pages 57 to 58
121–7 for pages 121 to 127
112–13 for pages 112 to 113, because numbers in the teens keep both digits

Paragraph ranges

Paragraph ranges are never shortened.

Each paragraph number keeps its own square brackets.

Correct

[9]–[11]

Incorrect

✗ [9–11]

Correct

[56]–[59]

Incorrect

✗ [56–9]

Several separate pinpoints

If you’re citing several separate pages or paragraphs, separate them with commas.

Pages

57, 61, 64

Paragraphs

[12], [18], [25]

Pinpoints to footnotes

Sometimes you’ll need to refer to a footnote within the source you’re citing.

Use:

n for a single footnote; and
nn for multiple footnotes.

These come after the page or paragraph pinpoint.

3Thornton v Galloway Marine Holdings Pty Ltd (2003) 211 CLR 42, 57 n 4.

4Thornton v Galloway Marine Holdings Pty Ltd (2003) 211 CLR 42, 57 nn 4–6.

Pinpoints to legislation

Legislation uses abbreviations instead of page or paragraph numbers.

Some of the most common are:

Section: s
Sections: ss
Part: pt
Division: div
Schedule: sch
Clause: cl
Regulation: reg
Rule: r
Article: art

5Commercial Tenancies Regulation Act 1994 (Cth) s 12.

Naming the judge

If you’re referring to something said by a particular judge rather than the Court as a whole, include the judge’s name after the pinpoint.

Common judicial abbreviations include:

CJ: Chief Justice
J: Justice
JJ: Multiple Justices
JA: Justice of Appeal
P: President

6Thornton v Galloway Marine Holdings Pty Ltd (2003) 211 CLR 42, 57 (Harrington CJ).

Timestamps

Audio and visual sources use timestamps instead of page numbers.

Write the timestamp in hours:minutes:seconds. For a range of timestamps, join them with an en dash.

7‘Episode 3: Ghost Payloads’, Corpus Confidential (Testland Broadcasting, 4 May 2022) 0:12:45.

8‘The Adversarial Hour’, Collected Engine Stress Tests (Director’s Cut, Hypothetical Studios, 2019) 0:12:40–0:13:05.

Last reviewed 4 August 2026