The next meeting of the Special Commission on the Practical Operation of the Service, Evidence and Access to Justice Conventions will take place in the Hague beginning on May 20. The Hague Conference has published drafts of some of the key documents:

• Draft Practical Handbook on the Operation of the Evidence Convention (Preliminary Document 1)
• Questionnaire of November 2013 Relating to the Service Convention (Preliminary Document 3) with responses
• Questionnaire of November 2013 Relating to the Evidence Convention (Preliminary Document 4) with responses
• Questionnaire of November 2013 Relating to the Access to Justice Convention (Preliminary Document 5) with responses
• Draft Appendix on the Use of Information Technology in the Operation of the Service Convention (Preliminary Document 6)

Preliminary Document 6 is particularly interesting because it focuses on issues that have been central to Letters Blogatory’s coverage of the Service Convention, namely service by email and by other electronic means. It also contains a very good summary of recent US decisions, many of which I have covered here.

I’ll be attending the meeting as part of an NGO delegation, so stay tuned in late May for updates from the Hague!