Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America on Access to Electronic Data for the Purpose of Countering Serious Crime

Abstract

On October 3, 2019, the United States and the United Kingdom signed an innovative international agreement on international assistance in criminal matters. The agreement, which has not yet entered into force, will enable law enforcement authorities in either country to request and obtain electronic communications content data directly from service providers located in the other country. It is intended to obviate the need, with respect to e-evidence, for resort to the slower and more cumbersome mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) in force between the two countries.