Comity
Comity is the discretionary respect one state’s courts may show to foreign laws, acts or judgments, without treating them as binding domestic law.
Comity describes judicial or governmental respect for foreign sovereign acts, laws or court decisions where no strict legal obligation exists. It is especially discussed in common-law systems, for example when considering foreign proceedings, evidence requests or judgment recognition. Swiss private international law relies more on codified rules and treaties than on comity as an open doctrine. Still, the underlying idea of orderly cooperation, mutual respect and avoidance of conflicting decisions helps explain many cross-border procedural choices.