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Comment by izacus | Hacker News Reader

Yes, we would certanly rather have nothing. Status Quo is infinitely better than forced data transfer of our data to another nation and infinitely better than selling out IP protection to US corporation under ridiculous copyright laws.

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If that's true, why does your local legislature (I don't know where you are) enable the treaty in domestic law?

It doesn't. I'm not sure why that would affect this debate at all?

If your local legislature doesn't enable the treaty, you aren't bound by it: it isn't a part of your law. A trade treaty is essentially a promise to pass a set of laws.

Generally treaties are negotiated by the executive of a country, not the legislative force. Even in the cases where there is still a ratification step, the initiative is taken away from the legislative, and the law is written by indirectly (at best) elected commissars (in the case of the EU), rather than directly elected representatives.

In the case of the EU, there isn't even a ratification step once the EU commission (which isn't elected) agrees to a treaty.

And of course ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supremacy_(European_Union_law)

That means that with EU commission agreement you get the supreme court (that supersedes all local courts) arguing that anything the commission agrees to can countermand local constitutions.

So local legislature agreement required, in many cases, is incorrect.

Eh, no it isn't (necessarily). That depends on whether a certain legal system is monistic or dualistic; or rather, adheres to monistic or dualistic principles (it's not a black or white thing). Without knowing where the GP is from, you can't reasonably make any assumptions, because both are common.

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