Course

World Trade Law: Contemporary Issues and Concerns - LAWS8989

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:

Academic Program must be either 9200, 9210, 5740, 9231 or 5231

Equivalent: JURD7689

Excluded: JURD7689

CSS Contribution Charge: 3 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

International trade is increasingly becoming more important to practitioners (as evidenced by the Australia - United States free trade agreement) and non-governmental organisations. This course provides students with an opportunity to study select issues of international trade law in much more detail than can be covered in the introductory international trade law course. Increasingly, issues of contemporary legal significance are being decided by the WTO negotiations or the dispute settlement body that not only have an affect on the international trading system, but also affect civil society more broadly. Examples include the contentious discussions on agricultural subsidies, the agreement providing subsidised medicines to developing countries, obligations of a member when it loses in a dispute settlement panel and the evolving role of the dispute settlement body in the WTO.

LLM Specialisation


Recommended Prior Knowledge

Successful completion of an undergraduate or postgraduate international trade law course or substantial practice in the area is required to undertake this course.

Course Objectives

  • Refine and sharpen understanding of the history and evolution of the WTO
  • Deepen knowledge and understanding of the WTO agreements, including trade in goods, services, trade and intellectual property protection
  • Understand and evaluate the dispute settlement system as a whole as well as individual disputes
  • Understand the interconnectedness between trade policy and other areas, such as environmental, health and safety concerns, and labour

Main Topics

  • The Nature of the rights, responsibilities and obligations of the WTO
  • Settlement: The DSU in operation and potential amendments
  • Bilateral trade agreements
  • Developing countries and the WTO
  • Trade in agriculture
  • Intellectual property
  • Trade remedies
  • Current issues

Assessment

Class participation (Preparation and engagement in class) 20%
Research essay 5,000 - 6,000 words 80%
courtyard class

Study Levels

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