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Letter of request meaning

What does Letter of request mean?
A letter of request is a formal ask from a UK or Irish court to a foreign court to obtain evidence located abroad for use in domestic proceedings. It commonly seeks the examination of a witness (or deposition), answers to written questions, and/or the production of documents or other real evidence. The foreign court executes the request under its own procedural law, ensuring compulsion where needed and preserving admissibility. This is a descriptive term (also called a letter rogatory), with its use typically grounded in the Hague Evidence Convention 1970 and implementing rules. In England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, practice is under the Evidence (Proceedings in Other Jurisdictions) Act 1975 and court rules; in Ireland, under the Convention and the Rules of the Superior Courts. Requests usually issue from the High Court (or equivalent) on application and are transmitted via designated central authorities or diplomatic channels where no treaty route exists. The term is also used for cross‑border judicial assistance beyond evidence, for example insolvency cooperation (including requests under section 426 Insolvency Act 1986). Usage is broadly consistent across the UK and Ireland.
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View the related Checklists about Letter of request

CHECKLISTS
Seller’s solicitor checklist for selling a registered freehold residential property—vacant possession or subject to tenancies (England and Wales): from initial instructions to post-completion

Use this checklist when representing the seller in the disposal of a registered freehold residential property, whether offered with vacant possession or burdened by a lease or multiple leases. It is not comprehensive and will not address every eventuality in every transaction. You should always consider if there are additional matters that require attention. It does not purport to be a complete guide for every case. Preliminary matters Have you taken instructions from the client? Robust due diligence and effective transaction management depend on a clear grasp of the seller’s objectives and the proposed sale terms. Obtain full instructions, and clarify any elements of your brief that are unclear or out of the ordinary. Consider whether further specialist input is required; for example, planning advice where completion is conditional upon planning permission being secured. The table below sets out some of the principal points on which instructions should be obtained at the outset. This list is not comprehensive, and you may need to request information about additional...

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CHECKLISTS
CPR 35 and Civil Justice Council Guidance checklist for letters of instruction to expert witnesses: duties, scope, timetable, fees, UK GDPR (England and Wales)

This Checklist should be considered in conjunction with Practice Note: Instructing an expert Precedent: Letter of instruction to own expert (with drafting notes) Civil Justice Council Guidance for the instruction of experts in civil claims (from 1 December 2014) This Checklist assumes Proceedings have begun and permission to adduce expert evidence under CPR 35.4 is in place The expert is a witness (not an adviser), is not a single joint expert, and exchange is simultaneous Fees are not contingent and the party is not publicly funded Core confirmations Adherence to CPR 35, PD 35 and the Guidance; independence, impartiality and proportionality; no conflict Operate only within expertise and acknowledge limits; understand sanctions and liabilities Timetable is realistic; immediate notice of any revised opinion; collaborate on questions, meetings, joint statements and hearings Data protection issues The expert has considered the UK GDPR and the Data Protection...

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CHECKLISTS
Contesting mutual legal assistance evidence: practitioner checklist on letters of request, disclosure, judicial review, admissibility, exclusion and abuse of process

This Checklist should be read alongside Practice Notes: Mutual legal assistance (MLA) and Grounds for refusing assistance by the requested authority... The Letter of Request (LOR) Requests from the UK for mutual legal assistance (MLA) are made through a formal letter of request (LOR). Under the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003 (C(IC)A 2003), the UK judicial authorities that may seek assistance are any judge or justice of the peace in England and Wales. A prosecution authority designated by an order of the Secretary of State may likewise request assistance where the conditions in C(IC)A 2003, s 7(5) are fulfilled: it appears to the authority that an offence has been committed there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that an offence has been committed, and the authority has instituted proceedings in respect of the offence in question or the offence is being investigated Issuing authority When considering the LOR itself, ask: Was the LOR issued by a judge...

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FLOWCHARTS
When creditors can issue proceedings after a Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims letter of claim: timing rules and 30-day wait—flowchart (England and Wales)

STOP PRESS This document is currently being revised to take account of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA 2025), which updates the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. For further guidance on the compliance impact of DUAA 2025, see Practice Note: Data (Use and Access) Act 2025—compliance implications. This document reflects the UK GDPR framework. Unless expressly indicated otherwise, references and links to the GDPR are to the UK GDPR (Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2016/679). The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) confers several rights on data subjects, including a right to data portability. A data subject may submit a request to an organisation to exercise that portability right at any time. This is not, however, a blanket right to move data—it applies only in defined circumstances. There are strict deadlines for responding to such requests. See Practice Notes: Rights of data subjects How to handle data subject requests This Flowchart outlines a procedure for assessing portability requests...

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NEWS
Ireland: CBI Insurance Quarterly Newsletter (Q1 2025) – supervisory priorities, Revised Consumer Protection Code (2026), asset‑intensive reinsurance scrutiny and data request, plus DORA ICT third‑party contracts and EIOPA updates

On 24 March 2025, the Central Bank of Ireland (Central Bank) released its inaugural Insurance Quarterly Newsletter (newsletter) for 2025. It features several significant pieces for Irish (re)insurers, such as the Central Bank’s yearly Regulatory & Supervisory Outlook Report, discussion of asset‑intensive reinsurance, and updates to the Consumer Protection Code (with the Business Standards). The Regulatory and Supervisory Outlook Report The Central Bank published its Regulatory and Supervisory Outlook Report on 28 February 2025 (report). It set out the Central Bank’s perspective on principal trends and risks across the financial system and came with a Dear CEO letter describing the Central Bank’s updated supervisory approach. The newsletter draws out the report’s central themes, notably the Central Bank’s Supervisory Priorities for 2025. proactive risk control and leadership that puts consumers at the centre within firms ensuring firms remain resilient amid a difficult macroeconomic backdrop remediation of weaknesses in operating frameworks by firms effective change management within firms tackling climate change and progressing...

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NEWS
EAT: Tribunals should adjourn for medical assessment where doubt arises about a witness's capacity; failure to follow Equal Treatment Bench Book was unfair (Easton & Co; Easton v Donlon)

Adjournment needed for medical expert to assess capacity of witness to give evidence ((1) Easton & Co (2) Justin Easton (on behalf of the estate of Leslie Easton deceased) v Donlon) (1) Leslie Easton & Co Ltd (2) Justin Easton (on behalf of the estate of Leslie Easton deceased) v Donlon [2024] EAT 126 What are the practical implications of this decision? Here, the respondents’ advocate faced a dire predicament when his client suddenly repudiated the document intended to be his evidence-in-chief. The client: disputed that he authored the letter in the bundle designated as his evidence-in-chief rejected having previously agreed with his representative (and the other director) that this letter would serve as his evidence-in-chief claimed he had never read it before taking the oath insisted the contents were untrue and that anyone asserting otherwise was lying Given the client’s age and a prior stroke affecting memory and cognitive function, the representative sought an adjournment so a medical expert...

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NEWS
UK energy law and policy update, 19 June 2025: Ofgem licensing guidance, code changes, Capacity Market decisions, offshore wind and hydrogen investments, CCS funding, smart metering (DCC) reforms, fusion prototype.

In this issue: Key developments and materials Electricity and gas market regulation and licensing Electricity Code Modifications Renewable energy Capacity Market, balancing services and energy system flexibility Nuclear energy Air emissions, efficiency, and climate change International energy Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Key developments and materials Spending Review 2025—Key Energy and Environment announcements On 11 June 2025, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP, laid before Parliament the government’s Spending Review 2025 (SR25). This News Analysis spotlights the SR25 announcements and pledges most pertinent to the energy and environment sectors. See News Analysis: Spending Review 2025—Key Energy and Environment announcements. Access secured to six market-leading energy law titles We are pleased to confirm that we have recently broadened our Lexis+ Legal Research service by obtaining an exclusive licence from Globe Law and Business to publish six market-leading energy...

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PRACTICE NOTES
2022 appeal round-up and tracker: key civil litigation decisions and forthcoming Supreme Court cases (England and Wales)

Practice Note This Practice Note consists of two strands created to help dispute resolution practitioners remain up to date with developments in case law that affect their field, or which influence civil litigation procedure more generally: selected forthcoming appeals to the Supreme Court are highlighted below; see Key forthcoming appeals to the Supreme Court—2022 summaries of significant appeal decisions in England and Wales (ie rulings of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and, where appropriate, certain judgments of the Competition Appeal Tribunal, Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, Court of Justice of the European Union), and ECtHR, which we have covered; see: Key forthcoming appeal cases—2022 You can navigate this content using the table of contents in the left-hand margin. Alternatively, search this tracker using [CTRL]+[F]. This material is not intended to be a comprehensive register of every appeal or major decision relevant to dispute resolution practitioners. Key forthcoming appeals to the Supreme Court—2022 Tort and negligence ...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Amending Facility Agreements: lender consents, syndicated processes, guarantees and security, documentation options, conditions precedent, and fees and expenses

This Practice Note outlines the principal issues to take into account when altering an existing facility agreement. It covers: typical drivers and rationales for changing a facility agreement key considerations when amending a facility agreement in the context of a bilateral or syndicated transaction matters to address where guarantees or security are in place ways to document an amendment, including whether to use an amendment letter, an amendment agreement, or an amendment and restatement agreement usual conditions precedent to effectiveness points concerning fees, costs and expenses This Practice Note does not address one-off waivers and consents. For further information on waivers and consents, see Practice Note: Waivers and consents. For material on amending security documents, see Practice Note: Amending security documents. For general contract law guidance on varying a contract, see Practice Note: Contract variation. Common reasons for amending a facility agreement After execution of the facility agreement and once funding has taken place, the borrower’s situation...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Lender’s checklist: property-specific conditions precedent in investment real estate finance (England and Wales)

What are conditions precedent? In finance deals, conditions precedent (CPs) are the requirements a borrower must satisfy: typically before it may submit a utilisation (drawdown) request; and before the lender is obliged to release the funds. They are set out in the facility agreement, which commonly requires each CP to be in a form and substance satisfactory to the lender. In real estate investment finance, property‑specific CPs aim to assure the lender that: it will obtain a first legal charge over the property; and the property is acceptable security for the loan. For more detail, see Practice Notes: Real estate finance—conditions precedent and the mechanics of drawdown in development facilities and Real estate finance—conditions precedent and the mechanics of drawdown in investment facilities. What are the usual property specific CPs? A satisfactory certificate of title or report on title The lender will require property due diligence to confirm that the borrower will...

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PRECEDENTS
Serious Injury Guide: Early Insurer Notification Letter Template with Rehabilitation Code Immediate Needs Assessment Request

Notification under the Serious Injury Guide Sent by email to [ insert the early notification contact name and email address as listed for each insurer at http://www.seriousinjuryguide.co.uk/ ] Dear [ insert name ] Ref: Accident Client name: Date of birth: [ to be provided in a separate email ] National Insurance number: [ to be provided in a separate email ] We represent [ insert claimant’s name ] who sustained injuries in an incident on [ insert date ] at around [ insert time ], occurring in the course of their employment as [ insert details OR other circumstances ]...

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PRECEDENTS
Precedent letter to pension provider: estate administration request for drawdown status, unpaid sums, death and dependants’ benefits, and transfers within two years of death

FORTHCOMING CHANGE: The government has set out its proposals to apply inheritance tax to unspent pension pots on death, effective from 6 April 2027. For further details, please see News Analysis: HMRC confirms new IHT rules on unused pension funds to apply from 6 April 2027...

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PRECEDENTS
UK GDPR Article 19 notice: template letter to third-party data recipients regarding data subject rectification, erasure or restriction request (with acknowledgement)

STOP PRESS: This document is under revision to account for commencement of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA 2025), which introduces amendments to UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. For more detailed guidance on DUAA 2025 compliance ramifications, please consult Practice Note: Data (Use and Access) Act 2025—compliance implications...

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