The WTO’s highest court is set to have only three judges on its roster by the end of this month, after the US formally objected in late August to the reappointment of a current Appellate Body member for a second term. During a late August meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), the US said that its objection to Shree Baboo Chekitan Servansing’s reappointment was “no reflection of any one individual but reflects our principled concerns,” namely regarding the Appellate Body’s alleged “disregard for the rules set by WTO members.” According to a Geneva trade official, WTO members debated several procedural and substantive aspects of the Appellate Body’s past work at the meeting, and various members asked the US to submit detailed proposals for members’ consideration on how to unblock the selection process. With Servansing’s term now due to end on 30 September, the Appellate Body will be down to the minimum number of judges to sign off on any dispute report, even as appeals continue to pile up. The WTO’s highest adjudicative body is designed to have a roster of seven judges, each serving a four-year term that is renewable once. According to the organisation’s dispute settlement rules, WTO...