The Repertory of Appellate Body Case Law was initially developed as an internal research tool to assist the Appellate Body Secretariat in carrying out its duty to provide legal support to Appellate Body Members. The Repertory is now being made available to the public in the hope that it will become a practical tool for officials from WTO Members It will also assist academics, students and private practitioners of international trade law and dispute settlement.
The Repertory consists of excerpts from Appellate Body Reports; excerpts from Arbitration Awards issued pursuant to Article 21.3(c) of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes on the duration of the 'reasonable period' for implementation of Dispute Settlement Body rulings; additional information relating to the Appellate Body and appellate proceedings; and detailed indexes, organized by subject-matter, by Appellate Body Reports, and by Arbitration Awards.