Letters Rogatory

A formal request from a court in one country to a court in another country asking for assistance in obtaining evidence, serving documents, or performing other judicial acts. Letters rogatory are used when there is no applicable convention or bilateral agreement providing for direct judicial cooperation.

In practice

In enforcement, letters rogatory may be used to serve proceedings on a debtor abroad, to obtain evidence about the debtor's assets in a foreign jurisdiction, or to examine the debtor about their means. The process is typically slow and requires the cooperation of the foreign court. Where the Hague Service Convention or the Hague Evidence Convention applies, those routes are preferred over letters rogatory as they are more efficient.