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Methods of Searching for the Ordinary Meaning and the Possible Codification

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Treaty Interpretation Under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the reasons of relying on the ordinary meaning and the methods of identifying the proper ordinary meaning for an interpreted treaty term. It explains that referring to the usage of the term in a separate treaty could be one of the methods of identifying the ordinary meaning. It is also a common practice to search for the possible ordinary meanings from dictionaries. This chapter suggests that there must be certain rules to guide the use of dictionaries for treaty interpretation purpose.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Appellate Body Report, Canada—Certain Measures Concerning Periodicals, p. 19, WTO Doc. WT/DS31/AB/R19 (adopted 30 July 1997).

  2. 2.

    Appellate Body Report, European Communities—Regime for the Importation, Sale, and Distribution of Bananas, para. 221, WTO Doc. WT/DS27/AB/R (adopted 25 Sept 1997).

  3. 3.

    Leal-Arcas et al. (2016), pp. 61–62.

  4. 4.

    Panel Reports, Canada—Certain Measures Affecting the Renewable Energy Generation Sector/Measures Relating To The Feed-In Tariff Program, paras. 7.108–7.112, WTO Doc. WT/DS412/R, WT/DS426/R (adopted 24 May 2013).

  5. 5.

    Id. at paras. 7.155–7.166.

  6. 6.

    Much of the discussion in this chapter is based on the following articles: Lo (2010, 2012).

  7. 7.

    Knox (2004), p. 50.

  8. 8.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Import Prohibition of Certain Shrimp and Shrimp Products, para. 114, WTO Doc. WT/DS58/AB/R (adopted 6 Nov 1998) [hereinafter US—Shrimp Appellate Body Report].

  9. 9.

    Panel Report, United States—Sections 301–310 of the Trade Act 1974, para. 7.22, WTO Doc. WT/DS152/R (adopted 27 Jan 2000) [hereinafter US—Section 301 Trade Act Panel Report].

  10. 10.

    Ruse-Khan (2010), p. 164.

  11. 11.

    Appellate Body Report, India—Patent Protection for Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Chemical Products, para. 45, WTO Doc. WT/DS50/AB/R (adopted 16 Jan 1998).

  12. 12.

    Id.

  13. 13.

    Solum (2017).

  14. 14.

    Merrills (1968), p. 58. The article is also available at http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUYrBkIntLaw/1968/4.html. Accessed 8 Aug 2017.

  15. 15.

    US—Section 301 Trade Act Panel Report, supra note 9, at para. 7.75.

  16. 16.

    US—Shrimp Appellate Body Report, supra note 8.

  17. 17.

    Arbitration Report, European Communities—Measures Concerning Meat and Meat Products (Hormones) (Article 21.3), para. 25, WTO Doc. WT/DS26/15, WT/DS48/13 (circulated 29 May 1998) [hereinafter EC—Hormones (Article 21.3) Arbitration Report].

  18. 18.

    US—Shrimp Appellate Body Report, supra note 8, at para. 130.

  19. 19.

    Panel Report, European Communities—Measures Affecting the Approval and Marketing of Biotech Products, paras. 7.92–7.93, WTO Doc. WT/DS291/R, WT/DS292/R, WT/DS293/R (adopted 21 Nov 2006).

  20. 20.

    Appellate Body Report, European Communities—Customs Classification of Frozen Boneless Chicken Cuts, paras. 175–176, WTO Doc. WT/DS269/AB/R, WT/DS286/AB/R, WT/DS269/AB/R/Corr.1, WT/DS286/AB/R/Corr.1 (adopted 27 Sept 2005).

  21. 21.

    Harris (2008), p. 140.

  22. 22.

    EC—Hormones (Article 21.3) Arbitration Report, supra note 17, at para. 26.

  23. 23.

    Panel Report, United States—Import Measures on Certain Products from the European Communities, para. 6.22, WTO Doc. WT/DS165/R (adopted 10 Jan 2001).

  24. 24.

    McRae (2006), p. 364.

  25. 25.

    Appellate Body Report, China—Measures Affecting Trading Rights and Distribution Services for Certain Publications and Audiovisual Entertainment Products, para. 39, WTO Doc. WT/DS363/AB/R (adopted 19 Jan 2010) [hereinafter China—Publications and Audiovisual Products Appellate Body Report].

  26. 26.

    Id. at para. 41.

  27. 27.

    Panel Report, Canada—Certain Measures Affecting the Automotive Industry, fn. 807, WTO Doc. WT/DS139/R, WT/DS142/R (adopted 19 June 2000).

  28. 28.

    Id.

  29. 29.

    Panel Report, United States—Anti-Dumping Act of 1916, Complaint by the European Communities, fn. 435, WTO Doc. WT/DS136/R and Corr. 1 (adopted 26 Sept 2000); and Panel Report, United States—Anti-Dumping Act of 1916, Complaint by Japan, fn. 562, WTO Doc. WT/DS162/R and Add. 1 (adopted 26 Sept 2000): “It is evident that while we review the ordinary meaning, our reading of the dictionary is already made selective by the broad context of the term”.

  30. 30.

    China—Publications and Audiovisual Products Appellate Body Report, supra note 25.

  31. 31.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000, para. 248, WTO Doc. WT/DS217/AB/R, WT/DS234/AB/R (adopted 27 Jan 2003).

  32. 32.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Measures Affecting the Cross-Border Supply of Gambling and Betting Services, para. 164, WTO Doc. WT/DS285/AB/R (adopted 20 Apr 2005) [hereinafter US—Gambling Appellate Body Report].

  33. 33.

    Id. at para. 166.

  34. 34.

    Id.

  35. 35.

    Id.

  36. 36.

    Paras. 7.104–105 of panel report in complaint by Brazil; paras. 7.104–105 of panel report in the complaint by Thailand.

  37. 37.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Final Countervailing Duty Determination with respect to certain Softwood Lumber from Canada, paras. 58–59, WTO Doc. WT/DS257/AB/R (adopted 17 Feb 2004).

  38. 38.

    US—Gambling Appellate Body Report, supra note 32, para. 164, fn. 191.

  39. 39.

    Plasai (2010).

  40. 40.

    Black’s Law Dictionary (1990), p. 1013.

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  1. Judicial Yuan, Constitutional Court, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chang-fa Lo

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Correspondence to Chang-fa Lo .

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Lo, Cf. (2017). Methods of Searching for the Ordinary Meaning and the Possible Codification. In: Treaty Interpretation Under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6866-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6866-9_10

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6865-2

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