Opinion ID: 781597
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The MLAT Between the United States and Canada

Text: 4 The Treaty Between the United States and Canada on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Mar. 18, 1985, U.S.-Can., 24 I.L.M. 1092 (MLAT or Treaty), was signed at Quebec City, Canada on March 18, 1985, the advice and consent of the United States Senate was received on October 24, 1989, and the Treaty was entered into force on January 24, 1990. The Treaty obligates the two governments to provide mutual legal assistance in all matters relating to the investigation, prosecution and suppression of offences. MLAT, art. II, ¶ 1. The MLAT with Canada is one of a series of modern mutual legal assistance treaties being negotiated by the United States in order to counter more effectively criminal activities. Letter of Transmittal from Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, to the United States Senate, February 22, 1988, S. Exec. Rep. 100-14, 100th Cong., 2d Sess. (July 1985). 5 Traditionally, evidence sought by a foreign government had to be obtained through a process whereby a written request known as a letter rogatory was sent from the court of one country to the court of another asking the receiving court to provide the assistance. A federal statute authorizes federal district courts in this country to entertain such requests and provides that [t]he district court of the district in which a person resides or is found may order him to give his testimony or statement or to produce a document or other thing for use in a proceeding in a foreign or international tribunal, including criminal investigations conducted before formal accusation. 28 U.S.C. § 1782. Not only can a foreign tribunal bring a request in the form of a letter rogatory, but section 1782 has been amended to also allow similar requests for assistance to be brought by interested persons including foreign governments in foreign investigations or proceedings and private litigants of a foreign proceeding. See id. (The order may be made pursuant to a letter rogatory issued, or request made, by a foreign or international tribunal or upon the application of any interested person.). Requests for assistance initiated directly by an interested person rather than a foreign court are often referred to as letters of request. Despite the apparent versatility of 28 U.S.C. § 1782, law enforcement authorities found the statute to be an unattractive option in practice because it provided wide discretion in the district court to refuse the request and did not obligate other nations to return the favor that it grants. MLATs, on the other hand, have the desired quality of compulsion as they contractually obligate the two countries to provide to each other evidence and other forms of assistance needed in criminal cases while streamlining and enhancing the effectiveness of the process for obtaining needed evidence. This MLAT between the United States and Canada provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal matters. 1 6 Under this Treaty, Canada makes a request for assistance by contacting the United States' Central Authority under the Treaty, which is the Attorney General or officials designated by him. See MLAT, art. I (Definitions). If the particular type of assistance requested requires action of a federal district court, the Attorney General and his officials utilize existing statutory authority including 28 U.S.C. § 1782 to bring an action seeking the requested evidence or information. Because the Attorney General simply utilizes the preexisting statutory authority provided under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 when satisfying treaty obligations under the MLAT, the Treaty itself is self-executing obviating the need for implementing legislation. See Letter of Transmittal from Pres. Reagan (The Treaty is self-executing and utilizes existing statutory authority.); Letter of Submittal, Department of State, Feb. 11, 1988, S. Exec. Rep. 100-14, 100th Cong., 2d Sess. (July 1985) (The Treaty will not require further implementing legislation and will utilize the existing authority of the Federal courts, particularly 28 U.S.C. 1782.). Upon its entry into force on January 24, 1990, the MLAT became a law of this land on par with a federal statute.