Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
This unit is designed to provide students with an applied understanding of the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO), its dispute settlement process and other relevant topics of international trade law, including free trade agreements, trade linkage issues and Australia's trade policy. Students become familiar with key aspects of the WTO covered agreements, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), General Agreement on Services (GATS), Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), Anti-dumping Agreement (ADA), and Agreement Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM). Students also continually reflect upon the relationship between WTO rules and other societal values, such as environmental protection, protection of public health and public morals. Major challenges of the WTO and its most recent reform efforts, including the stalled Doha round of negotiations, will also be considered. A key theme explored within the unit is the inherent policy tension between trade liberalisation and regulatory sovereignty.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) develop mastery of the fundamental principles of the WTO law, including the principles of most-favoured nation treatment, national treatment, as well as social and environmental exceptions to these principles; (2) develop advanced oral and written communication skills to apply and critically evaluate the jurisprudential framework and dispute settlement process under the WTO; and (3) demonstrate understanding of the historical and theoretical fundamentals of the WTO, and its emerging legitimacy challenges in real-world political and economic context.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) participation; (2) presentation; and (3) examination. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Enrolment in ) )
- Incompatibility
- LAWS5511 International Trade Law, LAWS6719 International Trade Law, LAWS6254 WTO Law, LAWS3319 International Trade Law
- Contact hours
- 3 hours per week
- Texts
Peter Van den Bossche and Werner Zdouc, The Law and Policy of the World Trade Organization: Text, Cases and Materials, Cambridge University Press, 4th., 2017
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.