SUMMARY

In the UK, the CA is the Home Ofce. In Civil Law

juis!ictions, the CA is usuall" the #u!icial Authoit".
MU$UAL L%&AL ASSIS$A'C%
A teat" a(ee! )" vaious counties ma*es it easie +o counties
to ,ecisel" *now cicumstances wheein the e-uest .MLA/ ma"
)e (ante! o e+use!.
$his is !one thou(h a +omal e-uest )" a Cental Authoit" o a
!esi(nate! authoit" in the e-uestin( state. $his woul! )e !one
)" sen!in( a lette o+ e-uest )" the e-uestin( state to the
e-ueste! state. In this case, it is CO%RCI0%.
Obtain !etails o+ a )an* account in anothe count" (besides a
country in Europe/Schengen Country).
Organise a seach o+ a ,o,et" in anothe count" for evidence of
the crime.
Obtain a statement +om a Ke" 1osecution 2itness in
another jurisdiction.
Obtain statement +om a witness not wantin( to come to
the e-uestin( state. RA3AK .You nee! a leave +om the cout )"
vitue o+ s.45 .6/.a/ o+ the Ciminal #ustice Act 6788 +o "ou
to (et evi!ence )" 0i!eo Lin*. Howeve, in the case o+ 3iane .5997/,
it was hel! that the cout woul! not (ant leave in cicumstances whee
"ou nee! to (et evi!ence ove the tele,hone.
Obtain access to intercept evidence obtained by a a! Enforcement agent in
another country.
Obtain e"pert eva#uation.
Counties si(ne! to the %uo,ean Convention on
Mutual Assistance in Ciminal Mattes ma"
!iectl" ma*e an MLA e-uest.
CHAL%'&%S
$he challen(es o+ MLA can )e !esci)e! as CRA3L%
ega# System i.e. Common a! or Civi# a!.
Cost i.e. $he cost of getting such assistance compared to the magnitude
of the C%&'E and a#so carrying out S(%)E&*+CE.
*ttitude i.e. $he attitude of the state to!ards giving assistance to the
re,uesting state.
%e#ationship i.e. $he re#ationship of both states !hether cordia# or
hosti#e to faci#itate the '* re,uest.
-omestic a! i.e. &f the domestic #a! of the re,uested and re,uesting
state permits re,uest for such evidence and a#so. if the means through
!hich the evidence obtained in #ega# in the re,uesting state.
E/ectiveness i.e. $he e/ectiveness of the re,uested state !ou#d
depend on the e"perience and e"pertise of the sta/ in the Centra#
*uthorities and re#evant agencies.
&n the case of '*. there are :S$A&%S !hich the C%'$RAL
AU$HORI$Y has to ta0e and it is ca##ed RSI1
R1 %e,uest assistance from the other state2 N.B. An accused person can also
make a request but it can only be done after being charged with a
criminal ofence.
S1 Send the re,uest to the other state2 i.e. usua##y to the C* of the re,uested
state by means of a L%$$%R RO&A$ORY. It is essential that it is in the
;ORM A'3 LA'&UA&% e-uie! )" the e-ueste! state. %.&.
S2I$<%RLA'3
I1 &mp#ement the re,uest2 i.e. $he re,uested state cannot be forced to provide
the assistance even if it is in the proper form as the C* in the re,uested state
sti## has to decide !hether it !ou#d be ab#e to comp#y.
11 3rovide evidence/information. i.e. $he re,uested state has to provide the
evidence/information to the re,uesting state once the re,uest is received and be
sent to the agency that needs the re,uest.
'.=. $H% ;AILUR% O; MLA HAS $O 3O 2I$H $H% %;;%C$I0%'%SS
O; $H% C%'$RAL AU$HORI$Y O; $H% R%>U%S$%3 S$A$%.
'.= I' MOS$ COMMO'2%AL$H COU'$RI%S, $H% A$$OR'%Y
&%'%RAL USUALLY AC$S AS $H% C%'$RAL AU$HORI$Y.
'.= MLA CA' =% %?1%'SI0% I' SOM% I'S$A'C%S A'3 $H%
R%>U%S$I'& S$A$% CA' O;;%R $O 1RO0I3% ;I'A'CIAL
ASSIS$A'C% $O $H% R%>U%S$%3 S$A$% 2HICH $H% I';ORMA$IO'
IS '%%3%3 ;ROM.
'.= A' ACCUS%3 1%RSO' CA' ALSO MAK% A' MLA R%>U%S$ =U$
$HIS IS O;$%' O'LY 1OSSI=L% A;$%R =%I'& CHAR&%3 2I$H A
CRIMI'AL O;;%'C%.
UK MLA
Cime .Intenational Co@o,eation/ Act 5994
s.AB Imme!iatel" investi(ation stats, MLA can )e e-ueste!
s.8 .6/.a/B $he ,lace whee the e-uest can )e sent +om the
e-uestin( state i.e. $he cout o+ the e-ueste! state.
s.8 .6/.)/B $his can also )e +om a eco(nise! authoit" that
eceives e-uests o+ that *in!.
3IR%C$ $RA'SMISSIO'
$his is also an MLA e-uest which can )e !one )"
a !esi(nate! ,osecution authoit" i.e. 3iecto
o+ S;O, Attone"@&eneal, Ma(istate Cout etc.
$his has to do !ith E(/Schengen states as the re,uesting state does not have
to fo##o! the forma# system of ma0ing re,uests from the other state. 4o!ever.
there are certain cases in !hich this !ou#d not app#y and they RAR
RB R%S$RAI'$ A'3 CO';ISCA$IO'
AB ACCOU'$ MO'I$ORI'& OR CUS$OM%R I';ORMA$IO' OR3%R
%?C%1$IO'S
3B R%>U%S$%3 S$A$% 3OM%S$IC L%&ISLA$IO' 3O%S 'O$ ALLO2 ;OR
I$
MU$UAL ASSIS$A'C%
$his is whee the e-uest in the e-ueste! state
woul! not involve the use o+ coecive ,owe. A
,olice to ,olice MA can )e e-ueste! which
woul! involve the ,olice o+ the e-uestin( state
assistin( in the investi(ation e-ueste! +o in the
e-ueste! state.
$his is in+omal an! woul! )e !one )"B
Obtain detai#s about the owneshi, o+ a ,o,et"
1U=LIC R%COR3S
Obtain detai#s about the owneshi, o+ a com,an"
Chec0 !hether someone has a previous conviction