Do Developed Countries 'Lawyer up' Faster than Developing Countries?Evaluating the Speed and Momentum of Trade Litigation at the World Trade Organization

摘要

Recent scholarship raises a number of questions about how countries at different income levels use the World Trade Organization's (IVl'O's) Dispute Settlement Understanding (DStJ). It is generally accepted that countries with large trade volumes will use the DSU more than smaller economies. It stands to reason that developed countries would also be faster to participate in dispute settlement processes after acceding to the WFO Agreement. Iliis article shows that economic development status does not explain the speed at which members engage in dispute settlement following accession. In fact, there is less uniformity in the pace at which members undertake dispute settlement than might be expected given the global divisions oj wealth, access to information and availability of legal talent.