A survey of mutual legal assistance involving digital evidence

International cooperation is becoming more important in digital investigations, yet methods of exchanging and requesting digital evidence across boarders continues to use traditional protocols. This work provides a comprehensive study about Mutual Legal Assistance in relation to digital evidence. First, we survey available information related to making a Mutual Legal Assistance Request, followed by analyses of practitioner questionnaire results related to making and receiving Mutual Legal Assistance Requests involving digital evidence. The given survey is a first effort to provide data behind the challenges identified by practitioners when attempting to request Mutual Legal Assistance related to digital evidence. From this data, some justification for commonly cited challenges are found, as well as the circumstances in which these challenges arise.