9. Article

1. 1)) The Contracting Parties undertake to supply one another, in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention, with information on their law and procedure in civil and commercial fields as well as on their judicial organisation.
2. 2)) However, two or more Contracting Parties may decide to extend as between themselves the scope of the present Convention to fields other than those mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The text of such agreements shall be communicated to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
3. 1)) In order to carry out the provisions of the present Convention each Contracting Party shall set up or appoint a single body (hereinafter referred to as the "receiving agency"):
4. a)) to receive requests for the information referred to in Article 1, paragraph 1, of the present Convention from another Contracting Party;
5. b)) to take action on these requests in accordance with Article 6.
6. 2)) Each Contracting Party may set up or appoint one or more bodies (hereinafter referred to as "transmitting agency") to receive requests for information from its judicial authorities and to transmit them to the competent foreign receiving agency. The receiving agency may be appointed as a transmitting agency.
7. 3)) Each Contracting Party shall communicate to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe the name and address of its receiving agency and, where appropriate, of its transmitting agency or agencies.
8. 1)) A request for information shall always emanate from a judicial authority, even when it has not been drawn up by that authority. The request may be made only where proceedings have actually been instituted.
9. 2)) Any Contracting Party may, if it has not set up or appointed a transmitting agency, indicate, by a declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, which of its authorities it will deem a judicial authority within the meaning of the preceding paragraph.
10. 3)) Two or more Contracting Parties may decide to extend as between themselves the present Convention to requests from authorities other than judicial authorities. The text of such agreements shall be communicated to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
11. 1)) A request for information shall state the judicial authority from which it emanates as well as the nature of the case. It shall specify as exactly as possible the questions on which information concerning the law of the requested State is desired, and where there is more than one legal system in the requested State, the system of the law on which information is requested.
12. 2)) The request shall also state the facts necessary both for its proper understanding and for the formulation of an exact and precise reply. Copies of documents may be attached where necessary to clarify the scope of the request.
13. 3)) The request may include questions in fields other than those referred to in Article 1, paragraph 1, where they relate to the principal questions specified in the request.
14. 4)) Where a request is not drawn up by a judicial authority it shall be accompanied by the decision of that authority authorising it.
15. 1)) The receiving agency which has received a request for information may either draw up the reply itself or transmit the request to another State or official body to draw up the reply.
16. 2)) The receiving agency may, in appropriate cases or for reasons of administrative organisation, transmit the request to a private body or to a qualified lawyer to draw up the reply.
17. 3)) Where the application of the preceding paragraph is likely to involve costs, the receiving agency shall, before making the transmission referred to in the said paragraph, indicate to the authority from which the request emanated the private body or lawyer to whom the request will be transmitted, inform the said authority as accurately as possible of the probable cost, and request its consent.
18. 1)) The receiving agency to whom a request for information has been sent shall, subject to the provisions of Article 11, take action on the request in accordance with Article 6.
19. 2)) Where the reply is not drawn up by the receiving agency, the latter shall be bound to ensure that a reply is sent subject to the conditions specified in Article 12.
20. 1)) The receiving agency, as well as the body or the person whom it has instructed to reply, in accordance with Article 6, may request the authority from which the request emanates to provide any additional information it deems necessary to draw up the reply.
21. 2)) The request for additional information shall be transmitted by the receiving agency in the same way as is provided by Article 9 for the communication of the reply.
22. 1)) The request for information and annexes shall be in the language or in one of the official languages of the requested State or be accompanied by a translation into that language. The reply shall be in the language of the requested State.
23. 2)) However, two or more Contracting Parties may decide to derogate, as between themselves, from the provisions of the preceding paragraph.
24. 1)) The reply shall not entail payment of any charges or expenses except those referred to in Article 6, paragraph 3, which shall be borne by the State from which the request emanates.
25. 2)) However, two or more Contracting Parties may decide to derogate, as between themselves, from the provisions of the preceding paragraph.
26. 1)) This Convention shall be open to signature by the member States of the Council of Europe. It shall be subject to ratification or acceptance. Instruments of ratification or acceptance shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
27. 2)) This Convention shall enter into force three months after the date of the deposit of the third instrument of ratification or acceptance.
28. 3)) In respect of a signatory State ratifying or accepting subsequently, the Convention shall come into force three months after the date of the deposit of its instrument of ratification or acceptance.
29. 1)) After the entry into force of this Convention, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe may invite any non-member State to accede thereto.
30. 2)) Such accession shall be effected by depositing with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe an instrument of accession which shall take effect three months after the date of its deposit.
31. 1)) Any Contracting Party may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession, specify the territory or territories to which this Convention shall apply.
32. 2)) Any Contracting Party may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession or at any later date, by declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, extend this Convention to any other territory or territories specified in the declaration and for whose international relations it is responsible or on whose behalf it is authorised to give undertakings.
33. 3)) Any declaration made in pursuance of the preceding paragraph may, in respect of any territory mentioned in such declaration, be withdrawn according to the procedure laid down in Article 20 of this Convention.
34. 1)) This Convention shall remain in force indefinitely.
35. 2)) Any Contracting Party may, in so far as it is concerned, denounce this Convention by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
36. 3)) Such denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the Secretary General of such notification.
37. a)) any signature;
38. b)) any deposit of an instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession;
39. c)) any date of entry into force of this Convention in accordance with Article 17 thereof;
40. d)) any declaration received in pursuance of the provisions of paragraph 2 of Article 1, paragraph 3 of Article 2, paragraph 2 of Article 3 and paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 19;
41. e)) any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 20 and the date on which denunciation takes effect.
42. a)) emanate not only from a court, but from any judicial authority having jurisdiction to prosecute offences or execute sentences that have been imposed with final and binding effect; and
43. b)) be made not only where proceedings have actually been instituted, but also when the institution of proceedings is envisaged.
44. a)) emanate not only from a judicial authority but also from any authority or person acting within official systems of legal aid or legal advice on behalf of persons in an economically weak position; and
45. b)) be made not only where proceedings have actually been instituted but also when the institution of proceedings is envisaged.
46. 1)) Each Contracting Party which has not set up or appointed one or more bodies to act as a transmitting agency as provided for in Article 2, paragraph 2 of the Convention, shall set up or appoint such an agency or agencies for the purpose of transmitting any request for information in accordance with Article 3 of this Protocol to the competent foreign receiving agency.
47. 2)) Each Contracting Party shall communicate to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe the name and address of the transmitting agency or agencies set up or appointed in accordance with the preceding paragraph.
48. 1)) Any State may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, declare that it will only be bound by one or the other of Chapters I and II of this Protocol.
49. 2)) Any State having made such a declaration may, at any subsequent time, declare by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe that it will be bound by the provisions of both Chapters I and II. Such notification shall take effect from the date of its reception.
50. 3)) Any Contracting Party which is bound by the provisions of both Chapters I and II may at any time declare by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe that it will only be bound by one or the other of Chapters I and II. Such notification shall take effect six months after the date of the receipt of such notification.
51. 4)) The provisions of Chapter I or II, as the case may be, shall be applicable only between Contracting Parties which are bound by the Chapter in question.
52. 1)) This Protocol shall be open to signature by the member States of the Council of Europe, signatory to the Convention, who may become Parties to it either by:
53. a)) signature without reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval;
54. b)) signature with reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval.
55. 2)) Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
56. 3)) A member State of the Council of Europe may not sign this Protocol without reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval, nor ratify, accept or approve it, unless it has, simultaneously or previously, ratified or accepted the Convention.
57. 1)) This Protocol shall enter into force three months after the date on which three member States of the Council of Europe shall have become Parties to the Protocol in accordance with the provisions of Article 6.
58. 2)) In the case of any member State which shall subsequently sign the Protocol without reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval or which shall ratify, accept or approve it, the Protocol shall enter into force three months after the date of such signature or after the date of deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval.
59. 1)) After the entry into force of this Protocol, any State which has acceded, or has been invited to accede, to the Convention, may be invited by the Committee of Ministers to accede also to this Protocol.
60. 2)) Such accession shall be effected by depositing with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe an instrument of accession which shall take effect three months after the date of its deposit.
61. 1)) Any State may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, specify the territory or territories to which this Protocol shall apply.
62. 2)) Any State may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession or at any later date, by declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, extend this Protocol to any other territory or territories specified in the declaration and for those international relations it is responsible or on whose behalf it is authorised to give undertakings.
63. 3)) Any declaration made in pursuance of the preceding paragraph may, in respect of any territory mentioned in such declaration, be withdrawn by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Such withdrawal shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe of the notification.
64. 1)) Any Contracting Party may, in so far as it is concerned, denounce this Protocol by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
65. 2)) Such denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe of such notification.
66. 3)) Denunciation of the Convention shall automatically entail denunciation of this Protocol.
67. a)) any signature without reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval;
68. b)) any signature with reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval;
69. c)) any deposit of an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession;
70. d)) any date of entry into force of this Protocol in accordance with Article 7 thereof;
71. e)) any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 4;
72. f)) any declaration or notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 5;
73. g)) any declaration received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 9 and any withdrawal of any such declaration;
74. h)) any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 10 and the date on which denunciation takes effect.