The ACWL provides advice on all WTO legal matters
The ACWL gives legal advice on all procedural and substantive issues arising under WTO law. This legal advice is provided free of charge.
The opinions provided by the ACWL can be divided into three categories.
The first comprises opinions on legal issues arising in WTO decision making and negotiations. These legal opinions enhance the capacity of developing countries to pursue their interests within the complex institutional framework of the WTO and to become active participants in WTO bodies. Given the volume of these opinions in recent years, the ACWL has acquired substantial experience in this area.
The second category of legal opinions concerns measures taken or contemplated
by the Member or LDC seeking the advice. These legal opinions help these countries to realise their trade policy objectives in a manner consistent with WTO law and to avoid unnecessary disputes. They are often sought by Members or LDCs faced with internal disagreement as to the consistency of a proposed measure with WTO law. The ACWL is in a unique position to provide a neutral assessment of the legal issues in these situations.
The third category of legal opinions concerns measures of another WTO Member that the developing country or LDC seeking the advice considers challenging under the WTO dispute settlement procedures. In these cases, the ACWL’s opinions permit the developing country or LDC to assess the chances of prevailing in a dispute settlement proceeding on the basis of a legal analysis prepared by an institution that is neither issue-driven nor profit-making.
Legal advice is provided free of charge
In accordance with the Schedule of Fees set out in Annex IV of the Agreement, the ACWL provides advice to its Members and to the LDCs free of charge up to a maximum number of hours to be determined by the Management Board. Since the Management Board has not decided to impose a maximum number of hours, all legal opinions are presently provided free of charge.