Legal Definitions - letter rogatory

A letter rogatory, also known as a letter of request, is a legal document issued by one court to a foreign court. It is used to request that the foreign court take evidence from a specific person or serve process on an individual or corporation within the foreign jurisdiction. The testimony or proof of service is then returned for use in a pending case.

For example, if a court in the United States needs to obtain evidence from a witness who is located in France, they can issue a letter rogatory to a French court. The French court will then take the necessary steps to obtain the evidence and send it back to the US court.

Another use of a letter rogatory is when an inferior court withdraws or waives jurisdiction so that a matter can be heard in the court immediately above. This is known as a letter of request as well.

Overall, a letter rogatory is an important legal tool that allows courts to obtain evidence and serve process in foreign jurisdictions.