Use the Tab and Up, Down arrow keys to select menu items.
World Trade Law
This course will provide an introduction to the regulation of international trade under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). New Zealand is a Member of the WTO, the organization responsible for regulating trade in goods, services and intellectual property at the international level. Moreover, these days trade rules impact on more than just trade: they restrict (or at least impact upon) Members’ policies in connection with (but not limited to) the environment, human rights, health, and culture. The course will cover the institutional rules of the WTO set out in the WTO Agreement, the procedural rules set out in the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), as well as the substantive rules. As to the substantive law, the course will focus on the three core WTO agreements, namely: • the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (in goods) (GATT), • the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), and • the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).The GATT lays down the basic principles of trade liberalization and will therefore take centre stage. One of the main themes will be the relationship between the WTO rules and competing social policies, with special emphasis on trade and the environment. As far as trade in services is concerned, we will elaborate the differences in the way the WTO regulates trade in goods and services.
Students will be expected to gain a solid knowledge of the relevant legal framework and to develop their capacity to critically analyse issues and developments in this field. This course will be of interest to students wanting to know more about the international trade rules and their impact on business and public policy, and to broaden their knowledge of international law. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:For the Research project - Carry out independent research Communicate the findings of their research Understand, explain and apply the WTO agreements and other relevant instruments of international trade Understand and explain the relationship between the WTO agreements and selected other instruments Relate their knowledge of the above to current matters of international concern Locate primary materials relevant to international trade Subject those primary materials to critical analysis and use them to create an argument based on international law Read, understand, interpret and critique treaties and the rules relating to their operation.For the Class participation - Reflect on their experience and performance and plan further development of their skills; Understand the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand's trade agreements.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Globally aware
Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.
Subject to approval of the Programme Director.
DIPL402 (before 2014), DIPL411, LAWS338
Christian Riffel
Assessment will be by means of a research project. The research project will be on an international trade topic chosen by the student in conjunction with the lecturer. This assessment is designed to allow students to pursue their own interests within the parameters of this course. All students are encouraged to discuss their topics and research plans with the lecturer throughout the course.All essays must be submitted electronically in order to be run through plagiarism detection software.
Domestic fee $1,009.00
International Postgraduate fees
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Faculty of Law .