Postgraduate Module Descriptor

LAWM132: WTO Law and Society

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

The module aims to introduce you to the basic principles and rules of the WTO as well as its institutional framework as a multilateral trade organisation. It will focus on key elements of these basic principles and rules by examining their application and interpretation in cases under the WTO’s dispute settlement body. By research-led and interactive learning/teaching the module will enable you to speculate on the role of the WTO between WTO Members and the potential and actual impacts that the implementation of WTO rules pose for governments in pursuing their own trade and implications of trade rules for non-trade policies such as public health and environment and to consider the extent to which the removal of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers can effectively stimulate socio-economic development.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. analyse critically the substance and application of the major concepts and principles of WTO law as interpreted by the dispute settlement body of the WTO; 2. undertake complex critical evaluation of institutional and procedural rules of the WTO, particularly on the dispute settlement proceedings using specialist literature and current research; 3. demonstrate deep and critical awareness of a wide range of social and contextual implications of the relationships between the WTO law and the regulation of international business activity; 4. identify, explain and evaluate some of the current challenges that governments face in implementing the WTO agreements in national jurisdictions critically and comprehensively and review the future development of the WTO rules innovatively;
Discipline-Specific Skills	5. demonstrate flexible and innovative ability to identify and analyse complex legal problems arising from the implementation of international trade regulations within regional, national and sub-national settings, and select appropriate methods for investigating and critically evaluating them; 6. integrate and assess a range of complex information affecting policy options available to governments in developing and applying the regulation of international trade based on your knowledge and analysis of existing research and literature;
Personal and Key Skills	7. identify, retrieve and use the full range of relevant library-based and electronic resources and information dealing with the regulation of international trade efficiently and autonomously in order to develop your own arguments and opinions with minimum guidance; 8. communicate and engage in debate effectively, confidently and autonomously, and deliver coherent, clear and effective presentations, orally and in writing, in a manner appropriate to the discipline; and 9. work independently and effectively, and to manage time well in preparing for scheduled learning activities, exercises and assessments.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics:

Introduction: Trade Liberalisation and the WTO
The WTO as an Institution and Its Dispute Settlement System
Market Access
Non-Discrimination Principle I : Most Favoured Nation
Non-Discrimination Principle II: National Treatment
Health in General Agreement on Trade in Services
Trade Remedies: Anti-Dumping; Subsidies and Countervailing Measures
Agreement on Agriculture & Food Security
Exceptions to the WTO Principles
Formative Presentations on topical issues in WTO
The Doha Development Agenda and the Singapore Issues: Challenges Ahead

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
33	267	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	33	11 x 3 hour lecturer-led seminars
Guided Independent Study	27	Preparation for and writing of seminar paper for presentation to the rest of the group
Guided Independent Study	160	Assigned seminar readings (including seminar paper)
Guided Independent Study	80	Preparation of assessed/summative essay

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Legal texts – WTO Agreements: http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/legal_e/final_e.htm

WTO dispute cases: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_status_e.htm