MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE REQUESTS
Central Authority in India for Mutual Legal Assistance Requests in Criminal Matters
As per Allocation of Business Rules of the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal Ministry and the Central authority for seeking and providing mutual legal assistance in criminal law matters. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) receives all such requests, examines them and takes appropriate action. (Internal Security-II (IS-II) Division handles this subject in the Ministry of Home Affairs). Their address is Under Secretary, IS-II Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Near India Gate, New Delhi - 110001.
MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE TREATY (MLAT) IN CIVIL AND COMMERCIAL MATTERS
(i)List of the countries with whom the MLAT in Civil and Commercial matters is operational as a result of the exchange of the Instrument of Ratification:
| S.No. | Country | Signed | Exchange of the Instrument of Ratification |
|---|
| 1. | Bahrain | 13.01.2004 | 21.10.2010 |
| 2. | France | 25.01.1988 | 07.12.2004 |
| 3. | Russia | 03.10.2000 | 11.04.2006 |
| 4. | Azerbaijan | 04.04.2013 | 12.08.2014 |
| 5. | UAE | 31.10.1990 | 29.05.2000 |
| 6. | Mongolia | 03.01.2001 | 15.02.2004 |
(ii) India has also signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with following seven countries:-Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
| S.No. | Country | MoUs | Signed |
|---|
| 1. | Turkey | Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation between Ministry of Law & Justice of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Turkey | 10.04.2002 |
| 2. | China | Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation between Ministry of Law & Justice of the Republic of India and the Supreme People’s Prosecution Service of the People’s Republic of China. | 23.06.2003 |
| 3. | Russia | Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Ministry of Law & Justice of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Justice of The Russian Federation | 03.10.2000 |
| 4. | Qatar | Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of State of Qatar on Cooperation in the field of Legal Affairs. | 09.04.2012 |
| 5. | Morocco | MoU for co-operation in the field of Law & Justice | 02.04.2018 |
| 6. | United Kingdom | Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between the Ministry of Justice of the United Kingdom and Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of the Republic of India concerning co-operation between both countries in the sphere of Law & Justice and establishing a joint Consultative Committee. | 10.07.2018 |
| 7. | Uzbekistan | The Memorandum of Understanding between of Ministry of Justice of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Cooperation in the Sphere of Law & Justice. | 29.09.2018 |