World trade law

LWM51

The syllabus focuses on the law of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which forms the core of international economic law. The World Trade Organisation has more than 160 members and is a relatively young international organisation, beginning its operation in 1995. The course covers the history of the WTO, its objectives and how it operates, as well as examining the regulations and principles of trade in goods and overall will provide students with a firm understanding of this important organisation.

Study as an individual course

Module A: World Trade Organization institutions and dispute settlement

LWM51A

From GATT 1947 to the World Trade Organization (WTO). History, objectives and framework
Institutional aspects of the WTO
Dispute settlement: basic principles and panel proceedings
Dispute settlement: appellate review and implementation

Module B: Basic principles of trade in goods

LWM51B

Introduction to GATT 1994. Tariffs and quantitative restrictions
The most favoured nation and national treatment principles
Safeguards
Exceptions to GATT obligations (with special focus on environmental protection)

Module C: Specific regulations of trade in goods

LWM51C

The Antidumping Agreement
The Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Duties
The TBT Agreement
The SPS Agreement

Module D: Special World Trade Organization regulations

LWM51D

Trade in services (GATS)
Intellectual property (TRIPS)
Regional trade arrangements
Investment and competition policy

Assessment

Each module will be assessed by a 45-minute unseen written examination.

Sequence

It is strongly recommended you attempt Module A first, followed by module B.

How to apply

You can either apply for these modules individually or as part of the Postgraduate Laws programme. (In either scenario, they must be studied in order.)

These modules also contribute towards the following specialist pathways for Laws:

Commercial and Corporate Law
International Business Law
International Dispute Resolution
Law and Development
Public International Law

Apply via Postgraduate Laws.

Dr Joanna Gomula

Dr Joanna Gomula, LLM (University of Warsaw), LLM (University of Michigan), PhD (Polish Academy of Sciences) works primarily in the field of WTO law at the University of Cambridge. She practiced for several years at White & Case and is a member of the New York Bar. Joanna is a Visiting Reader at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary College, University of London, where she has lectured WTO dispute settlement and international economic law. Since 2005 Joanna has been a visiting lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna where she teaches international economic law. She has taught at the University of Nanterre in Paris, University of Cardinal Wyszynski in Warsaw, University of Hong Kong and the Academy of Economics in Katowice.

Since 2011 Joanna edits ICSID Reports. She is also on the Board of Editors of the Global Community Yearbook of International Law and Jurisprudence (ed. Guiliana Ziccardi Capaldo) and the Collana di Diritto Internazionale e Diritto interno internazionale- Series on International Law and Domestic Law in International Matters, as well as on the Academic Review Board of the Cambridge Journal of International and Comparative Law.