Israel has notified the German Government that it will accord legal aid to German judicial authorities and courts to the same extent which such legal aid is extended in Germany to Israeli Courts and judicial authorities.
The formal communication from Jerusalem to Bonn, which was approved by a decision of the Israel Cabinet, means that comprehensive legal assistance will be furnished on a reciprocal basis, not only in civil suits but also where criminal and extradition matters are concerned. Depositions will be taken by the courts of one country for use by the courts of the other country, a practice which has proven important in war-crimes canes where witnesses reside in Israel, as for instance the current prosecution of Prof. Carl Clauberg, the Nazi medical fiend of Auschwitz.
Such assistance, which has been rendered in informal fashion until now, will in future proceed in accordance with contractual provisions that are legally binding under international law. The agreement does not, however, constitute an extradition treaty.
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