Contents of request - national law requirements

Republic of Mauritius

Mauritius - Mutual Assistance Act 2003 EN

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

6. Procedure for an evidence-gathering order or a search warrant

(2) Subject to section 5(5), a request by a foreign State, or an international criminal tribunal, for an evidence-gathering order shall -


(a) comply with the requirements in section 4(3) ;

(b) specify -
(i) the name and address or the official designation of the person to be examined ;
(ii) the question to be put to the person or the subject matter about which he is to be examined ;
(iii) whether it is desired that the person be examined orally or in writing ;
(iv) whether it is desired that an oath be administered to the person ;
(v) any provision of the law of the foreign State as to privilege or exemption from giving evidence which appears especially relevant to the request ; and
(vi) any special requirements of the law of the foreign State as to the manner of taking evidence relevant to its admissibility in that State ;
(vii) the document, record or property to be inspected, preserved, photographed, copied or transmitted ;
(viii) the property of which samples are to be taken, examined or transmitted ; and
(ix) the site to be viewed or photographed.

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

6. Procedure for an evidence-gathering order or a search warrant

(3) A request by a foreign State or an international criminal tribunal for a search warrant shall -

(c) contain such information available to the foreign State or international criminal tribunal, as the case may be, as may be required for the purpose of the application.

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

6. Procedure for an evidence-gathering order or a search warrant

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4)(a)(i), a statement contained in the request to the effect that

(a) a serious offence has been or may have been committed against a law of the foreign State ; or
(b) an international criminal tribunal offence has been or may have been committed,
shall be prima facie evidence of that fact.

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

6. Procedure for an evidence-gathering order or a search warrant

(6) An evidence-gathering order-

(a) shall provide for the manner in which the evidence is to be obtained in order to give effect to the request and may require any person named therein to-

(i) make a record from data or make a copy of a record ;
(ii) attend before the Master and Registrar to give evidence ; and
(iii) produce to the Judge in Chambers, or to any other person designated by him, any article, including any document, or copy thereof; or

(b) may include such terms and conditions as the Judge in Chambers considers desirable, including those relating to -

(i) the interests of the person named therein or of third parties ; or
(ii) the questioning of the person named therein by any representative of the foreign state or international tribunal, as the case may be.

(7) Subject to subsections (8) and (9), a person named in an evidence-gathering order may refuse to answer a question, or to produce a document or article, where the refusal is based on -

(a) an enactment which permits the person to decline to give evidence in similar circumstances in proceedings originating in Mauritius or a privilege recognised by the law in Mauritius ;
(b) a privilege recognised by a law in force in the foreign State that made the request ; or
(c) a law currently in force in the foreign State that would render the answering of that question, or the production of that document or article by that person, in his own jurisdiction, an offence.

PART III - FORMS OF MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

12. Foreign request for enforcement of foreign restraining order or confiscation

(4) For the purposes of subsections (2) and (3), a statement contained in the foreign request to the effect that -

(a) the foreign restraining or confiscation order is in force in the foreign State, or before the international criminal tribunal ; or
(b) the person who is the subject of the order was given notice of the proceedings in sufficient time to enable him to defend himself, or had absconded, or died before such notice could be given,
shall be prima facie evidence of the fact, without proof of the signature or official character of the person appearing to have signed the foreign request.

Rome Statute

Article 96 Contents of request for other forms of assistance under article 93

3. Upon the request of the Court, a State Party shall consult with the Court, either generally or with respect to a specific matter, regarding any requirements under its national law that may apply under paragraph 2 (e). During the consultations, the State Party shall advise the Court of the specific requirements of its national law.

Article 97 Consultations

Where a State Party receives a request under this Part in relation to which it identifies problems which may impede or prevent the execution of the request, that State shall consult with the Court without delay in order to resolve the matter. Such problems may include, inter alia:

(a) Insufficient information to execute the request;

(b) In the case of a request for surrender, the fact that despite best efforts, the person sought cannot be located or that the investigation conducted has determined that the person in the requested State is clearly not the person named in the warrant; or

(c) The fact that execution of the request in its current form would require the requested State to breach a pre-existing treaty obligation undertaken with respect to another State.