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Law of the World Trade Organization - LAWS8972

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Postgraduate

Units of Credit: 6

EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2

Enrolment Requirements:

Prerequisite: Academic Program must be either 9200 or 9210 or 5740 or 9230 or 9240 or 5760 or 9231 or 5231 or 9220 or 5750 or 9281 or 5281.

Excluded: JURD7472, JURD7484, LAWS3084

CSS Contribution Charge: 3 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

This course examines the way in which the World Trade Organsiation (the WTO) regulates international trade. The course begins by examining the arguments for and against the regulation of international trade, and the historical development of the WTO Agreements. The course will then survey the major WTO Agreements, such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (the GATT) and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (the GATS). The course will also provide insight into some of the major concepts and controversies in present day international trade law. It is hoped that by completing this course, students will gain a balanced perspective into the strengths and weaknesses of the WTO system, and a working knowledge of the way in which the WTO affects domestic regulation of international trade.

LLM Specialisations

Corporate and Commercial Law
Corporate, Commercial and Taxation Law
Innovation Law
International Business and Economic Law
International Law

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

This course provides an introduction to the legal environment of trade transactions at an international level, focussing on the legal and policy dimensions of the World Trade Organisation (the WTO).

The course is intended to give students the tools to understand the contemporary context of international trade, the legal regime established by the WTO, and to enable them to understand and take part in contemporary policy debates about the WTO and globalization.

Main Topics

Globalisation and the rationales for and against free trade;
The history of trade liberalization and the origins of the WTO;
Overview of the major agreements, such as the GATT, the GATS, and the Dispute Settlement Understanding;
Researching WTO law;
Reform of the WTO and the Doha Round;
Interlinkages of trade and development, human rights and environmental issues.

Assessment

In-Class Participation (10%)
Short outline/Bibliography (10%)
Final Paper (80%)

Course Texts

Prescribed