A commission rogatory, also known as a letter rogatory or a letter of request, is a formal request from a court in one country to a court in another country for some type of judicial assistance, such as service of process, taking of evidence, or enforcement of judgments1. A commission rogatory would be used in the context of a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) request, which is a bilateral or multilateral agreement that enables countries to cooperate and provide legal assistance to each other in criminal matters2. MLATs are one of the main gateways for obtaining information from another country, especially when the information is not available through other means, such as financial intelligence units (FIUs), supervisory authorities, or international organizations3. FIUs are national agencies that collect, analyze, and disseminate financial information related to money laundering and terrorist financing, and they can exchange information with their counterparts in other countries under the Egmont principles. Supervisory authorities are regulators that oversee the compliance of financial institutions and other entities with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) obligations, and they can share information with their peers in other jurisdictions through supervisory channels, such as the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body that sets standards and monitors the implementation of AML/CFT measures, and it can provide information and guidance to its members and other jurisdictions, but it does not have the authority to request or compel information from them.
1: Letters rogatory - Wikipedia
2: Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties and Letters Rogatory: A Guide for Judges | Federal Judicial Center
3: How US Authorities Obtain Foreign Evidence in Cross-Border Investigations | Global Investigations Review
What is an FIU? | Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision | Bank for International Settlements
What is the FATF? | FATF
