(a) WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
- In General. Within the United States or a territory or insular possession subject to United States jurisdiction, a deposition must be taken before:
- an officer authorized to administer oaths either by federal law or by the law in the place of examination; or
- a person appointed by the court where the action is pending to administer oaths and take testimony.
- Definition of “Officer.” The term “officer” in Rules 30, 31, and 32 includes a person appointed by the court under this rule or designated by the parties under Rule 29(a).
(b) IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
- In General. A deposition may be taken in a foreign country:
- under an applicable treaty or convention;
- under a letter of request, whether or not captioned a “letter rogatory”;
- on notice, before a person authorized to administer oaths either by federal law or by the law in the place of examination; or
- before a person commissioned by the court to administer any necessary oath and take testimony.
- Issuing a Letter of Request or a Commission. A letter of request, a commission, or both may be issued:
- on appropriate terms after an application and notice of it; and
- without a showing that taking the deposition in another manner is impracticable or inconvenient.
- Form of a Request, Notice, or Commission. When a letter of request or any other device is used according to a treaty or convention, it must be captioned in the form prescribed by that treaty or convention. A letter of request may be addressed “To the Appropriate Authority in [name of country].” A deposition notice or a commission must designate by name or descriptive title the person before whom the deposition is to be taken.
- Letter of Request — Admitting Evidence. Evidence obtained in response to a letter of request need not be excluded merely because it is not a verbatim transcript, because the testimony was not taken under oath, or because of any similar departure from the requirements for depositions taken within the United States.
(c) DISQUALIFICATION. A deposition must not be taken before a person who is any party’s relative, employee, or attorney; who is related to or employed by any party’s attorney; or who is financially interested in the action.
Amended | Effective |
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Apr. 1, 2007 | Dec. 1, 2007 |
Apr. 22, 1993 | Dec. 1, 1993 |
Mar. 2, 1987 | Aug. 1, 1987 |
Apr. 29, 1980 | Aug. 1, 1980 |
Jan. 21, 1963 | July 1, 1963 |
Dec. 27, 1946 | Mar. 19, 1948 |