WTO争端解决中的案例法方法

判例法这一用语在不同的语境下具有不同的含义。判例法是普通法法律制度中的一种传统,该传统是经由长期的司法实践形成的,而非来自于立法的强制性要求。严格意义上,判例法的突出特点是遵循先例,案件相同裁决相同。在一般意义上,判例法具有指导作用。在WTO争端解决中,无论是上诉机构的观点,还是上诉机构和专家组的实际做法,都体现出明显的案例法的指导作用的特点。与普通法制度不同的是,WTO的案例都是依据WTO规则的解释形成的,并非独立于WTO协定的法律渊源。

The Case Law Applied in the WTO Dispute Settlement

The meaning of the term "case law" varies in different contexts.Case law is a tradition in common law legal system,which is formulated on the basis of long judicial practice rather than compulsive legislation.Strictly speaking,case law is characterized by stare decisis:the similar decision for the similar case.Generally speaking,case law has a directive function.In the WTO dispute settlement,both the views of the Appellate Body and the practice of the Appellate Body and the Panels embody the features of leading function of case law.differing from the common law system,the decided cases are all made under the interpretation of the WTO rules,which cannot be deemed a source of law separated from the WTO Agreement.