Research Programs

Public International Economic Law Program

This programme is intended to cover public international law regulating economic relations between States. The principal field of study is the regulation of international trade and investment through multilateral or bilateral treaties, with the major focus of research being the law of the World Trade Organization. We expect the work of the programme to develop more broadly to embrace other fields including investor state arbitration, and international intellectual property law.

Associates of this programme are involved in the teaching of subjects in this field including International Trade Regulation and Advanced International Trade Regulation.

Current research programmes including those supported by research grants are:

• The Application of the GATT to agricultural trade
• The Incorporation of the General Theory on Distortions and Welfare into the Law of the World Trade Organization

Associates of this programme and Visitors are active contributors to the Seminar progamme of the Sydney Centre for International and Global Law.

The Programme was launched with a presentation of the first in the SCIGL Public International Economic Law Discussion Papers “How and Why the GATT Works – Or Doesn’t”. The paper was presented on 21 September 2006 as a Staff Seminar at the World Trade Organization and at the official launch of this programme at the University of Sydney Law School on 23 March 2007.

Programme Publications

In addition to the publications listed in the Publications page, Associates in this Programme are annual contributors to the Casenotes section of the Australian Yearbook of International Law.

The Programme Coordinator is Dr Brett Williams. Other Associates contributing to this programme are Professor Gillian Triggs, Professor David Kinley, Associate Professor Luke Nottage, Kate Miles and Dr Martyn Taylor.

Comments about the programme are welcome, as are possibilities for research collaboration. Please contact brett.williams@usyd.edu.au or law.scigl@usyd.edu.au

Program Seminars

As part of the SCIL programme of activities, we convene a monthly discussion group on WTO / public international economic law issues on the 2nd Thursday of each month.    

The first 2nd Thursday seminar on 12 June 2008 consisted of a presentation by Victoria Donaldson from the Appellate Body division of the World Trade Organization entitled “Taking Your Beefs to the WTO: the continuing hormones dispute and issues in WTO dispute settlement”. For more details on the 12 June 2008 Seminar, see the SCIL Seminars page.

The seminars are open to anyone who is interested.  They are usually scheduled for the 2nd Thursday of each month (though sometimes it is necessary to schedule on a different day and time). They will usually be set for 5.30 to 7pm and be held in a room at the University of Sydney law school.  The time and room will vary depending on room availability. To check on the start time, the room and the scheduled topic and speaker, please see the Schedule of WTO Discussion Group Seminars.

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