Settling international trade disputes at the World Trade Organization

The Centre for Business Law and Practice welcomes Professor Gabrielle Marceau, Senior Counsellor, Legal Affairs Division of the WTO and Associate Professor at the University of Geneva.

Professor Marceau will discuss the practical changes to the WTO dispute settlement system in the last twenty years, as well as current proposals for change. The discussion will include the possibility of amicus curiae and open hearings, the use of outside experts, the selection of panellists, the administration of evidence, the role of WTO staff in disputes and the efforts to increase the efficiency of the WTO dispute settlement system. The lecture will also address some of the weaknesses of the system, in particular the recent 'queues' before the Dispute Settlement Body, and controversy relating to the appointment of Appellate Body members.

The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception.

We look forward to welcoming you to the School.

About the speaker

Gabrielle Marceau, Ph.D., is Senior Counsellor in the Legal Affairs Division of the WTO Secretariat. She joined the GATT Secretariat in September 1994, having earlier been a member of the Quebec/Canada Bar, working in private practice in Quebec, mainly in labour law, insurance law and civil law.

At the WTO Professor Marceau's main function is to advise panellists in disputes, the Director-General's Office, the Secretariat and WTO Members on WTO-related matters. From September 2005 to January 2010, she was legal advisor in the Cabinet of former WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy and, from September 2016 to January 2017, she was Acting Director Officer in charge for LAD.  She has also advised panelists in more than 20 WTO panel proceedings.

Professor Marceau is Associate Professor at the Law Faculty of the University of Geneva and has been Visiting Professor at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, the Sorbonne in Paris, Monash University in Melbourne, the World Trade Institute in Bern, amongst others. She is President of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) and is also involved with other associations and groups promoting international law. She has published extensively in WTO law and international economic law. 

Location details

Moot Court Room
The Liberty Building
Moorland Road
University of Leeds
Leeds
LS3 1DB

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