WTO争端解决机制的证明责任分配规则研究

GATT时期,专家组曾明确指出,＂援引例外的缔约方应对其满足例外所有条件承担证明责任＂,另外从一些专家组报告中还可以推断出＂申诉方对被诉方违反GATT的事实负证明责任＂。WTO成立后,＂申诉方承担被诉方违反WTO规则的证明责任＂以及＂被诉方对例外或者肯定性抗辩负证明责任＂成为专家组和上诉机构分配证明责任的一般规则。但是＂申诉方承担被诉方违反WTO规则的证明责任＂有可能被滥用,例外条款的辨别也存在难度。＂主张事实的一方应提供证明＂以及＂当事方应合作提供证据＂作为证明责任分配的特殊规则,可以在一定程度上解决上述一般规则的问题。

Rules Concerning the Allocation of Burden of Proof in WTO Dispute Settlement

In GATT period,the panel had explicitly pointed out that＂the parties quoted the exception shall bear the burden of proof to prove all the conditions that meet the exception＂,in addition to which it could be inferred from the panel report that ＂the complaining party shall bear the burden of proof regarding the facts that the respondent in violation of GATT rules＂. After the establishment of WTO,＂the complaining party shall bear the burden of proof concerning the respondent in violation of WTO rules＂and ＂the respondent shall bear the burden of proof concerning the exception or affirmative defense＂,which have become the general rule that the panel and the appellate body distribute the burden of proof. However,the rule that the complaining party shall bear the burden of proof concerning the respondent in violation of WTO rules is likely to be abused,and the exception rule is also difficult to be identified. The party claiming the facts shall provide the proof and the concerning party shall cooperate in providing the evidence,as the special rules on the allocation of the burden of proof,to a certain extent,may solve the problem concerning the above-mentioned general rules.