The law of a jurisdiction other than those referred to in Section 8-1003 of this Act shall be an issue for the court, but shall not be subject to the foregoing provisions concerning judicial notice.
8-1007.Foreign country.
Article VIII. Evidence · Part 10. Judicial Notice · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceThe law of a foreign country falls outside the mandatory judicial notice scheme of Sections 8-1003 through 8-1006 and is instead treated as an issue for the court to decide.
Full Text of 735 ILCS 5/8-1007
Plain-English Summary
This section draws a line between the law of another United States jurisdiction, covered by the mandatory notice duty in Section 8-1003, and the law of a foreign country, which this section excludes from that scheme.
Foreign-country law remains an issue for the court rather than the jury, echoing the court-decides approach used for domestic sister-state law under Section 8-1005, but it is not subject to the specific judicial notice provisions that apply to domestic law.
For litigants dealing with a contract, transaction, or event governed by the law of another nation, this section signals that the mechanics of Sections 8-1003 through 8-1006, including the mandatory notice duty and the reasonable-notice requirement for offering evidence, do not govern how that foreign law is handled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the mandatory judicial notice duty in Section 8-1003 apply to foreign-country law?
No. Section 8-1007 excludes the law of a foreign country from that mandatory notice scheme.
Who decides what foreign-country law means, the judge or the jury?
The court, since foreign-country law is treated as an issue for the court.
If the judicial notice provisions do not apply, how does the court handle foreign-country law?
As an issue for the court to resolve, outside the specific mechanics set out in Sections 8-1003 through 8-1006.
Which jurisdictions are covered by Section 8-1003's mandatory notice duty?
Every state, territory, and other jurisdiction of the United States, not foreign countries.
Why does the statute treat foreign countries differently from other states?
Sections 8-1003 through 8-1008 form the Uniform Judicial Notice of Foreign Law Act, and this section confines that act's mandatory notice mechanism to the domestic jurisdictions referred to in Section 8-1003.
Amendment History
(Source: P.A. 82-280.)
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, published by the
Illinois Compiled Statutes, Illinois General Assembly / Legislative Reference Bureau. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: illinois judicial notice foreign country lawforeign nation law issue for court illinoisforeign country law excluded from judicial noticeproving international law in illinois court