| Unit name | World Trade Law |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0115 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Greg Messenger |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
none |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
There are no co-requisites for this course. However, students may find it beneficial to study the International Law of Trade and Aid module alongside the World Trading System module and should be encouraged to do so (although this is not a co-requisite). |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This course provides an introduction into the multilateral trading system and explores the relationship between trade and development. Students will examine rules falling into four broad themes: market access, trade remedies, regulatory disciplines, and dispute settlement. The institutional framework of the treaty scheme for trade in goods set out in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and a number of the main covered agreements of the WTO will be analysed including: the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, the Agreement on Safeguards, the Agreement on Anti-Dumping and the Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM) Agreement. Students will examine the scope of WTO dispute settlement procedures and sanctions that may be taken against non-compliant Members as set out in the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU). Specific issues will be examined and questioned, in particular: whether ‘regionalism’ goes against the philosophy of free trade, whether trade should be free or fair (and the extent to which these ideals can be reconciled) and whether the substantive WTO rules and dispute settlement mechanisms are in practice fair to all countries. More broadly, the governance of international trade law will be situated in its wider political economy context. Students will explore the relevance of WTO law in addressing environmental disputes and promoting sustainability through the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Aims of this unit are:
An illustrative list of the topics that might be covered include:
Dispute Settlement
Market Access
Regulatory Disciplines
The learning objectives of this course would be for students to gain an understanding of the major international economic institution and its place in the international order. Students will learn about international economic law and its growing importance as a sub-branch of international law. By the end of the course, students should be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a variety of asynchronous and synchronous activities
Summative: 2 x 3000 word essays (50% each). Both assessments will assess all of the Intended Learning Outcomes for this unit in the context of topics selected by the examiners.
Formative: students should do one formative assessment (this will usually be 1 x 1500 word essay).
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWDM0115).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
