Reported decision

A reported decision is one that has been selected and published in a law report series, such as the Supreme Court Reports (S.C.R.) or the Dominion Law Reports (D.L.R.), usually with an editor's headnote. An unreported decision is one that was not published in a report series. Both carry exactly the same legal authority; reporting affects accessibility, not validity.

Historically, reported cases were far easier to find, and reporting served as a rough signal of significance because editors chose noteworthy cases. Today, comprehensive online databases and CanLII publish most Canadian decisions regardless of reporting status, so the practical gap has narrowed. Citation practice still reflects the distinction: the McGill Guide prefers the neutral citation first, with a printed reporter citation added where one exists.