Comity

Comity is the recognition which one nation allows within its territory to the legislative, executive, or judicial acts of another nation, having due regard both to international duty and convenience, and to the rights of its own citizens, or of other persons who are under the protection of its laws. It "is neither a matter of absolute obligation, on the one hand, nor of mere courtesy and good will, upon the other." Turner Entm't Co. v. Degeto Film, 25 F.3d 1512, 1519 (11th Cir. 1994), quoting Hilton v. Guyot, 159 U.S. 113 (1895). "The comity thus extended to other nations ... is the voluntary act of the nation by which it is offered, and is inadmissible when contrary to its policy, or prejudicial to its interests. But it contributes so largely to promote justice between individuals, and to produce a friendly intercourse between the sovereignties to which they belong, that courts of justice have continually acted upon it as part of the voluntary law of nations.” Id.

In Florida, a foreign decree “is entitled to comity, where the parties have been given notice and the opportunity to be heard, where the foreign court had original jurisdiction, and where the foreign decree does not offend the public policy of the State of Florida.” Intrinsic Values Corp. v. Superintendencia De Administracion Tributaria, 806 So.2d 616, 619 (Fla. 3d DCA 2002). quoting Nahar v. Nahar, 656 So.2d 225, 229 (Fla. 3d DCA), review denied, 664 So.2d 249 (Fla.1995).