Course coordinator
Mr James Munro
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Law School
An examination of the regulation of international trade by member states of the World Trade Organization, including trade in goods and services, investment, intellectual property and dispute settlement.
This course will introduce the international legal rules, principles and institutions of the World Trade Organization. Students who undertake this course will gain an understanding of the WTO legal regime through the major WTO Agreements as well as of substantive WTO law, drawing on reports of the WTO Appellate Body and panels. The course will cover the basic principles relating to trade in goods and trade in services, as well as some of the more specialised WTO Agreements. These will be examined through a consideration of the WTO Agreements and the legal disputes that have arisen under those agreements, including those relating to the environment, public health, and national security. Students will frequently encounter differing legal, policy, and economic perspectives in the field of WTO law. Students will be asked to think critically about the effect of the WTO’s legal regime and to develop their own views and thinking in light of these diverging perspectives and the descriptive nature of the course. Although not a prerequisite, students are advised that some knowledge of international law, international relations and/or economics would be a distinct advantage.
Course requirements
Restrictions
LLM, MICLaw, MIL and MIR/MIL
Quota: Minimum of 12 enrolments
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Mr James Munro
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
LAWS7853 is taught intensively for four days from 9am-5pm on 12, 13 April & 24, 25 May.
Aims and outcomes
Teaching Mission Statement
The mission of the School of Law is to educate students in and about the law. We seek to assist you to think critically about the law and to investigate its structures, principles, policies, and values. This is achieved by engaging with you as fellow investigators in a range of critical and intellectual conversations about the law and its place in society. Our role is thus to guide you in your own intellectual journey in the law and to equip you with the necessary skills that will enable you to continue that journey long after you have left the School.
Course Aims
This course aims to provide a balanced perspective on the legal operation and effect of the WTO Agreements and to provide students with a solid understanding of the key agreements. The course also aims to encourage students to think critically about the ethical, political and economic implications of increased trade liberalization, and how trade liberalization relates to domestic public policy issues in areas such as environmental protection, public health, human rights and the development of poor countries. These kinds of issues in WTO law are often the focus of differing perspectives, and this is not a subject about the "right" answers but is rather about principles, concepts, and ideas that are continually being adapted to new global economic contexts. A main feature of this subject is to equip students with the knowledge to meaningfully engage with these differing perspectives and for students to develop their own thinking in light of the descriptive nature of the subject.Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Thoroughly understand, explain, and critically discuss the structure and key principles of the major WTO Agreements.
LO2.
Independently and efficiently conduct research into the law of the World Trade Organization,including finding primary documents through the WTO Documents Online database.
LO3.
Thoroughly understand and critically discuss and debate the issues that affect different groups within the WTO, including developing countries and the student's own country.
LO4.
Critically analyse relevant jurisprudence and demonstrate a critical appreciation of contemporary theoretical debates relating to the WTO Agreements.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/ Critique |
Analytical exercise and Short Essay
|
50% |
7/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Examination |
End-of-semester Exam
|
50% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
Assessment details
Analytical exercise and Short Essay
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
7/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
For this task, students will receive one or more written scenarios which describe a particular government legislative measure and its alleged effects on the trade interests of another Member or Members. Students are required to answer one or more questions set forth at the end of each scenario. In general terms, these questions will require the student to analyse the consistency or otherwise of the measure with the Member’s obligations under the WTO Agreements (approx. 2500 words)
Answers should be typed in double spacing on A4 paper. In cases where the Course Coordinator considers that a student may derive an unfair advantage over other students by exceeding the word limit the Course Coordinator will not assess material in excess of the prescribed limit.
The purpose of the exercise is to test the ability of students to analyse complex factual situations, identify and explain how various WTO obligations may be implicated and provide an assessment of the relative merits of the possible arguments that could be made in support of the position of one or more of the parties in the problem.
This assessment task evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure.
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
End-of-semester Exam
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
The second task will involve an exam, delivered online, comprising multiple choice-style questions that test knowledge of issues relating to WTO law and jurisprudence that have been addressed in the course, with a particular focus on the content covered in Days 3 and 4. Further details on this task will be made available to students during the course.
This assessment task is to be completed online. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of Generative AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct Policy.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Not invigilated |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 47 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 48 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 7 |
Lecture |
Day 1 Introduction to the course. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Day 2 Non-Discrimination ﾖ MFN Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 12 |
Lecture |
Day 3 Other Exceptions Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Day 4 Continuation from Day 3 (SPS, TBT, TRIPS, and Services) Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: