WTO Law and Dispute Settlement (LAWS70322)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
June
Teaching staff:
Pasha Hsieh (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
December
Teaching staff:
Jo Langille (Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | June December |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is at the centre of ongoing debates concerning sovereignty and development. Its dispute settlement system has been active in resolving a wide range of international disputes, with jurisdiction over some of the largest and most significant matters arising today. This subject offers a sophisticated understanding of the WTO and its dispute settlement system, including a detailed analysis of the fundamental principles and jurisprudence of WTO law. The instructor is a leading scholar in WTO law and a former Legal Officer with the Appellate Body Secretariat of the WTO.
Indicative list of principal topics:
- History and objectives of the WTO
- WTO dispute settlement
- Core obligations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994):
- Tariff bindings
- Non-discrimination (most-favoured nation (MFN) and national treatment)
- Prohibition on quantitative restrictions
- Exceptions to WTO obligations, eg environment, health, public morals, culture, preferential trade agreements, national security, and special and differential treatment for developing countries
- Other WTO agreements, eg:
- General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
- Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
- Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs)
- Trade remedies (countervailing measures, anti-dumping measures and safeguards) and subsidies
- Current developments in the WTO
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have a general underestanding of the history and economic theory underlying the WTO and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1947 (GATT 1947)
- Be capable of critically examining the legal framework of the WTO, including the relationship between the various agreements, the relationship between the WTO agreements and other national and international laws, and the dispute settlement system
- Have an advanced understanding of the tensions that may arise between WTO objectives and other objectives in national or international law, and how these tensions may be resolved
- Be able to interpret and apply, at an advanced level, certain key WTO agreements, including advocating a particular position in a given hypothetical, potential or past case
- Be familiar with the details of some of the major WTO dispute settlement decisions regarding these WTO agreements, and be able to assess these decisions critically
- Be familiar with current issues in the WTO
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to generate creative and critical ideas relating to international trade regulation, in the WTO and in other forums
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Admission into a relevant Melbourne Law Masters program
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
These subjects are not allowed to be counted for credit with LAWS70322
Code Name Teaching period Credit Points LAWS50109 World Trade Organisation Law Not available in 202512.5
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are taught at an advanced graduate level and requires a thorough background in common law. While efforts are made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, teaching and assessment activities are designed to give an advanced and integrated understanding of the discipline of law for legal practitioners, learners and researchers.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Assessment 1: Class participation | Throughout the teaching period | 20% |
Assessment 2, Option 1: Take-home examination
| June offering: 8- 11 August 2025 | December offering: 16-19 January 2026 | 80% |
Assessment 2, Option 2: Research paper on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
| June offering: 13 August 2025 | December offering: 4 February 2026 | 80% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance is required. | During the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Students must choose assessment from the options listed above. If an option contains parts, all parts must be completed if that option is chosen.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- June
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 34 Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 21 May 2025 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to Canvas LMS to check on the pre-class readings and preparatory learning activities before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 18 June 2025 to 24 June 2025 Last self-enrol date 26 May 2025 Census date 20 June 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 1 August 2025 Assessment period ends 5 September 2025 June contact information
Teaching staff:
Pasha Hsieh (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office - December
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 34 Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 12 November 2025 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to the Reading Guide on the LMS subject page for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 10 December 2025 to 16 December 2025 Last self-enrol date 17 November 2025 Census date 12 December 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 23 January 2026 Assessment period ends 27 February 2026 December contact information
Teaching staff:
Jo Langille (Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters enrolment webpage for further information about re-enrolment, subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If subject coordinator approval is required, or for further information about Community Access Program study, please contact us
(enquiries for current students | enquiries for prospective students).
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025