Book I: Provisions common to all courts

The parties and their defenders, even if they are foreigners, may, with the judge’s permission, ask questions; these must be formulated or translated into French; the same applies to the answers given to them.

The assigned judge is required to inform the assigning court, at its request, of the place, day and time at which the execution of the letter rogatory will take place; the foreign assigning judge may attend. .

The judge may not refuse to execute a letter rogatory on the sole ground that French law claims exclusive jurisdiction, or that it does not know of a legal remedy that responds to the subject matter of the request brought before the issuing court, or that it does not admit the result to which the letter rogatory tends.

The judge assigned may refuse, of his own motion or at the request of any interested person, the execution of a letter rogatory if he considers that it does not fall within his powers. He must refuse it if it is likely to prejudice the sovereignty or security of the French State. In the same cases, interested persons may also ask the judge assigned to rescind the measures he has…

The public prosecutor must ensure compliance with the guiding principles of the trial in the execution of letters rogatory. In the event of a breach of these principles, the public prosecutor or the interested party may ask the judge assigned to rescind the measures he has taken or to annul the acts recording the execution of the letter rogatory.

If the letter rogatory has been transmitted irregularly, the judge assigned may of his own motion or at the request of the public prosecutor refuse to execute it; he may also, at the request of the public prosecutor, rescind the measures he has already taken and annul the acts recording the execution of the letter rogatory.

The decision by which the judge refuses to execute a letter rogatory, cancels the acts recording its execution, reports the measures he has taken or refuses to report them must state the reasons. The parties and the public prosecutor may appeal against the decision. The time limit for appeal is fifteen days; it is not increased on account of distances.

The documents recording the execution of the letter rogatory or the decision by which the judge refuses to execute it shall be transmitted to the issuing court by the same channels as those by which the letter rogatory was transmitted to the requested court. .