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Treaty Interpretation Under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties pp 219–237Cite as

Special Meaning, Supplementary Means and Different Languages as well as the Possible Codification

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the situations when a special meaning should be given to the interpreted term and when the supplementary means of interpretation should be used. It explains the confirming function and the determining function of the supplementary means. The absurdity principle, preparatory works and circumstances of conclusion are also elaborated. In addition, the chapter explains that a different language version of a treaty can serve as context or can help find the ordinary meaning of an interpreted term.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Unwin v. Hanson [1891] 2 QB 115.

  2. 2.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Measures Affecting the Cross-Border Supply of Gambling and Betting Services, para. 166, WTO Doc. WT/DS285/AB/R, WT/DS285/AB/R/Corr.1 (adopted 20 Apr 2005).

  3. 3.

    Appellate Body Report, European Communities—Definitive Anti-Dumping Measures on Certain Iron or Steel Fasteners from China, paras. 352–353, WTO Doc. WT/DS397/AB/R (adopted 28 July 2011).

  4. 4.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft (Second Complaint), para. 526, WTO Doc. WT/DS353/AB/R (adopted 23 Mar 2012).

  5. 5.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Final Anti-dumping Measures on Stainless Steel from Mexico, para. 128, WTO Doc. WT/DS344/AB/R (adopted 20 May 2008) [hereinafter US—Stainless Steel (Mexico) Appellate Body Report].

  6. 6.

    Appellate Body Report, Canada—Measures Affecting the Importation of Milk and the Exportation of Dairy Products, para. 138, WTO Doc. WT/DS103/AB/R, WT/DS113/AB/R, WT/DS103/AB/R/Corr.1, WT/DS113/AB/R/Corr.1 (adopted 27 Oct 1999).

  7. 7.

    Appellate Body Report, European Communities—Customs Classification of Frozen Boneless Chicken Cuts, para. 283, 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) [hereinafter EC—Chicken Cuts Appellate Body Report].

  8. 8.

    Fitzmaurice and Elias (2005), p. 221.

  9. 9.

    Linderfalk (2007, p. 240).

  10. 10.

    US—Stainless Steel (Mexico) Appellate Body Report, supra note 5, at paras. 129–132.

  11. 11.

    Appellate Body Report, European Communities—Customs Classification of Certain Computer Equipment, para. 86, WTO Doc. WT/DS62/AB/R, WT/DS67/AB/R, WT/DS68/AB/R (adopted 22 June 1998) [hereinafter EC—Computer Equipment Appellate Body Report].

  12. 12.

    Appellate Body Report, European Communities—Measures Affecting Importation of Certain Poultry Products, para. 83, WTO Doc. WT/DS69/AB/R (adopted 23 July 1998).

  13. 13.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Definitive Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties on Certain Products from China, para. 579, WTO Doc. WT/DS379/AB/R (adopted 25 Mar 2011).

  14. 14.

    EC—Chicken Cuts Appellate Body Report, supra note 7, at para. 289.

  15. 15.

    EC—Computer Equipment Appellate Body Report, supra note 11, at para. 92.

  16. 16.

    EC—Chicken Cuts Appellate Body Report, supra note 7, at para. 309.

  17. 17.

    Appellate Body Report, United States—Subsidies on Upland Cotton, para. 424, fn. 510, WTO Doc. WT/DS267/AB/R (adopted 21 Mar 2005).

  18. 18.

    Appellate Body Report, Canada—Certain Measures Affecting the Renewable Energy Generation Sector/ Measures Relating to the Feed-In Tariff Program, para. 5.67, fn. 512, WTO Doc. WT/DS412/AB/R, WT/DS426/AB/R (adopted 24 May 2013).

References

  • Fitzmaurice M, Elias O (2005) Contemporary issues in the law of treaties. Eleven, Utrecht

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  • Linderfalk U (2007) On the interpretation of treaties—the modern international law as expressed in the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Springer, Dordrecht

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  1. Judicial Yuan, Constitutional Court, Taipei, Taiwan

    Chang-fa Lo

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  1. Chang-fa Lo
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Correspondence to Chang-fa Lo .

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Lo, Cf. (2017). Special Meaning, Supplementary Means and Different Languages as well as 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_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6866-9_13

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6865-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6866-9

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