letter of request
Letter of request is a formal judicial document issued by a court in one country asking a court in another country to carry out a specific judicial act, most commonly to obtain evidence or serve process abroad. Letters of request facilitate international judicial cooperation in civil or commercial matters.
Unlike letters rogatory, which are transmitted through diplomatic channels, letters of request are sent directly between judicial authorities, usually through the designated Central Authority of the receiving country, under procedures established by the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (1970).
Under Chapter 1 of the Convention, a valid letter of request must include:
- The names and addresses of the requesting and receiving authorities,
- The names and addresses of the parties,
- A description of the proceedings,
- The evidence or information sought,
- The names of persons to be examined and questions to be asked, and
- Any documents or procedures to be followed.
The letter must be written in, or accompanied by, a translation into the official language of the receiving state. The receiving authority must also accept requests in English or French, or those translated into one of those languages. Foreign authorities may refuse execution of a letter of request only when compliance would violate national security, sovereignty, or when the requested act is not recognized as a judicial function under the receiving country’s law.
[Last reviewed in October of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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