Legal Definitions - requisitory letter

A requisitory letter, 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:

1. Take evidence from a specific person within the foreign jurisdiction, or
2. Serve process on an individual or corporation within the foreign jurisdiction and return the testimony or proof of servicefor use in a pending case.

For example, if a court in the United States needs to obtain evidence from a witness who lives in France, it can issue a requisitory letter to a French court requesting that the witness be interviewed and the testimony be sent back to the US court.

Another example is when a lower court withdraws or waives jurisdiction so that a matter can be heard in a higher court. In this case, the lower court issues a letter of request to the higher court.

Overall, a requisitory letter is a legal tool used to facilitate communication and cooperation between courts in different jurisdictions.