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Unit of study_
LAWS6249: World Trade Organization Law II
2020 unit information
This unit follows on from LAWS6063 World Trade Organization Law I (or LAWS3439 or equivalent undergraduate unit) and builds on the understanding gained there of the law of the World Trade Organization and examining some further topics on the law of the WTO with some references to bilateral or regional trade treaties. The dominant part of the unit is an extension of the consideration of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) by considering the exceptions for restrictions for health, environmental, technical regulations and quarantine reasons and considering the escape clauses providing for Safeguards, Anti-dumping Duties and Countervailing Duties (including the way these escape clauses are implemented in domestic law, mostly using examples from US law). We may extend the consideration of the MFN rule by considering the exception for free trade areas and customs unions (incorporating some limited consideration of particular Free Trade Agreements). Similarly, we may extend the introduction to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) by considering some specific service sectors, and extend the introduction to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) by considering the scope of exceptions under the TRIPS.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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LAWS6063 or LAWS3439 |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Demonstrate a reasonable level of proficiency in researching WTO law
- LO2. Acquire an improved knowledge and understanding of the Agreement Establishing the WTO, and the 3 main treaties binding WTO Members: the General agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS); and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS)
- LO3. Demonstrate an ability to advise as a legal practitioner on how certain parts of WTO law apply to fact situations, including the fundamental rules of the GATT, the trade remedy rules, and some of the environmental, SPS and TBT exceptions
- LO4. Demonstrate an improved understanding of the nature of the WTO system for negotiations, of the WTO legal system and of the WTO dispute settlement system, its concepts, procedures and enforcement mechanisms
- LO5. Gain a broader appreciation of how the law operates in a context of economics, politics and history including a capacity to apply established theories to the analysis of the law
- LO6. Gain a level of knowledge and understanding of the WTO system sufficient to enable you to undertake more advanced or more specialized study or to assist you in teaching yourself in areas of trade law not specifically covered in the course, or to undertake an Independent Research Project, International Law Independent Research Project or other research in the field of WTO law
Unit availability
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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