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Reviewing Appellate Review in the WTO Dispute Settlement System

As the World Trade Organization heads towards the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference in December 2005 and the Appellate Body celebrates its 10th anniversary, it is worth reflecting on the proposals advanced in the ongoing review of the Dispute Settlement Understanding that relate specifically to WTO appeals. This commentary considers several key proposals that fall within this category, concerning in particular the number and term of Appellate Body Members, the anonymity of Appellate Body reports, the absence of interim reports at the appellate stage, and the possibility of introducing a formal remand mechanism. These proposals raise some issues that are common to other legal systems and for which different systems have adopted different solutions. An examination of the various approaches in certain domestic and international contexts may be useful in evaluating individual proposals within the WTO, while keeping in mind the distinctive features of WTO appellate review and the broader background of the WTO dispute settlement system.