Practical Aspects Of Wto Litigation

Global Trade Law Series Volume-54 The World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) entered into force in 1995. Since then, it has spawned an extensive body of jurisprudence, making it a highly complex system to navigate. This book provides the first in-depth practical guide to resolving a dispute at the WTO, edited by an international lawyer, who has on-hands experience in WTO litigation. Contributors of individual chapters include government officials responsible for WTO dispute settlement from developing and developed countries, WTO Secretariat officials, a former member of the Appellate Body, academics specializing in international trade and related fields, and lawyers from major law firms specializing in WTO law. Contributors explain, in a detailed manner, the numerous procedural steps and practices developed over the past twenty-five years, on: preparing for WTO litigation; recognizing the importance of WTO consultations; presenting a case before a panel; panel requests and panels’ terms of reference; the role and assistance of the WTO Secretariat; the panel process; rules of evidence; confidentiality and transparency; additional working procedures for the treatment of confidential information; legal remedies to redeem a violation; general considerations for appeal; determining the reasonable period of time for compliance; retaliation proceedings; and use of non-WTO international law. Each contributor identifies the best practices and some of them also suggest potential areas for improvement of the dispute settlement mechanism from their respective points of view. Lawyers and advisors working on WTO law and stakeholders from the private sector, civil society and academia, interested in WTO litigation, will find in one source a deeply informed description of existing dispute resolution practices (some of them previously undocumented) including the most recent jurisprudence clarifying the scope of many procedural rules. With its real-life account of WTO dispute settlement procedures and its key insights and advice from WTO insiders, this book constitutes an expert assessment of a cornerstone of the rules-based multilateral trading system and will prove of enormous value to all stakeholders in international trade.

Any experienced lawyer knows that cases are most often won or lost on procedural grounds; yet procedural issues are often considered too technical for proper treatment in legal literature. In this extensively revised new edition of Palmeter and Mavroidis' authoritative book on WTO dispute settlement, the authors discuss all WTO dispute settlement provisions and their interpretation in WTO jurisprudence. All the decisions of panels and the Appellate Body are discussed, from the inception of the WTO in 1995 until the end of May 2003. Although the book contains considerable technical expertise, it is at the same time written for accessibility to a wide readership. This volume - an essential tool for practitioners, diplomats and government lawyers - is a comprehensive study of compulsory third party adjudication in international law.

This book gathers contributions by twenty-five world-class practitioners, leading academics, adjudicators, and civil servants in the field of WTO litigation, investment arbitration, and commercial arbitration. It provides a practical cross-cutting analysis of the different dispute settlement mechanisms that exist in international trade and investment and offers valuable insights into how to use best practices among the three systems. The book addresses the critical areas of overlap that exist in the three disciplines, including: management of parallel proceedings and role of politics and ‘pressure points’ within host governments; selection and appointment of arbitrators, panels and Appellate Body members; use of experts and economics; search of the applicable law; interpretation of the national treatment principle and other substantive standards and legal tests; methods of redressing ‘moral damage’; regimes of review, appeals and annulment; enforcement systems of awards, implementation of WTO law and other legal remedies; and allocation of costs. In addition to being the first in-depth exploration of the interaction among WTO litigation, investment arbitration and international commercial arbitration, this book brings a singularly practical perspective to bear on the three dispute settlement mechanisms and how each can be used to best advantage.

The WTO dispute settlement system has become one of the most dynamic, effective and successful international dispute settlement systems in the world over the past twenty years. This second edition of A Handbook on the WTO Dispute Settlement System has been compiled by the dispute settlement lawyers of the WTO Secretariat with a view to providing a practice-oriented account of the system. In addition to describing the existing rules and procedures, this accessibly written handbook explains how those rules and procedures have been interpreted by dispute settlement panels and the Appellate Body, and how they have evolved over time. The handbook provides practical information to help various audiences understand the day-to-day operation of the WTO dispute settlement system.

International investment arbitration, commercial arbitration, and WTO litigation are no longer separate and isolated disciplines. Increasingly, the same international trade dispute or set of potentially unlawful measures taken by a State are subject to overlapping substantive rules and standards contained in a WTO treaty, an investment treaty, or a commercial or investment agreement, each covering a different aspect and each providing for different jurisdictions, procedural avenues, substantive standards and remedies. There exists, however, a wide range of 'cross-cutting' issues and points of 'cross-fertilization' between international commercial arbitration, investment arbitration and WTO litigation, which users of these regimes should be aware of. This book deals with the overlap of the three regimes and discusses the resulting advantages and pitfalls. This book gathers contributions by twenty-five world-class practitioners, leading academics, adjudicators, and civil servants in the field of WTO litigation, investment arbitration, and commercial arbitration. It provides a practical cross-cutting analysis of the different dispute settlement mechanisms that exist in international trade and investment and offers valuable insights into how to use best practices among the three systems. The book addresses the critical areas of overlap that exist in the three disciplines, including: management of parallel proceedings and role of politics and 'pressure points' within host governments ; selection and appointment of arbitrators, panels and Appellate Body members ; use of experts and economics ; search of the applicable law; interpretation of the national treatment principle and other substantive standards and legal tests; methods of redressing 'moral damage'; regimes of review, appeals and annulment; enfoncement systems of awards, implementation of WTO Law and other legal remedies; and allocation of costs. In addition to being the first in-depth exploration of the interaction among WTO litigation, investment arbitration and international commercial arbitration, this book brings a singularly practical perspective to bear on the three dispute settlement mechanisms and how each can be used to best advantage.

The WTO dispute settlement system plays an important role in clarifying and enforcing the legal obligations contained in the WTO Agreement. It has gained a strong practical relevance as more than 300 disputes have been brought from 1 January 1995 through October 2003. While dispute settlement is certainly not the only activity taking place within the WTO, it has become an important part of the practical reality of the Organization. WTO dispute settlement has also become an important tool in the management by WTO Members of their international economic relations at large. The objective of this handbook is to give the reader a good understanding of the practical operation of this system. Working through this guide, the reader will be introduced to all elements of the dispute settlement process, from the initiation of a case through to the implementation of the decision.