LLB M100CS Law,
LLB M100MS Law,
LLB M100TS Law,
LLB M103 Law (Senior Status),
LLB MM20 Law with Human Rights,
LLB MM21 Law with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MM22 Law with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
LLB MM30 Law with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MV06 Law with Philosophy (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MV16 Law with Philosophy,
LLB MV18 Law with Philosophy (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MV19 Law with Philosophy (Including Placement Year),
LLB ML14 Law with Politics (Including Year Abroad),
LLB ML15 Law with Politics (Including Placement Year),
LLB ML16 Law with Politics,
LLB ML26 Law with Politics (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MN00 Law with Business,
LLB MN01 Law with Business (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MN02 Law with Business (Including Placement Year),
LLB MN03 Law with Business (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MN10 Law with Finance,
LLB MN11 Law with Finance (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MN12 Law with Finance (Including Placement Year),
LLB MN13 Law with Finance (Including Foundation Year),
LLB MM00 Law with Criminology,
LLB MM01 Law with Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MM02 Law with Criminology (Including Placement Year),
LLB MM03 Law with Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
LLB M123 Licence English and French Law (Double Degree),
LLB M1Q3 Law with Literature,
LLB M1Q4 Law with Literature (Including Foundation Year),
LLB M1Q5 Law with Literature (Including Placement Year),
LLB M1Q6 Law with Literature (Including Year Abroad),
LLB M1V1 Law with History,
LLB M1V2 Law with History (Including Foundation Year),
LLB M1V3 Law with History (Including Placement Year),
LLB M1V4 Law with History (Including Year Abroad)
Land law is a topic that affects all of us, often in different ways, playing a fundamental role in regulating people's rights over one of the most valuable and useful legal assets. This module is designed to provide students with a sound understanding of the key features of land law, including its underlying principles and its importance in regulating property relations in response to social policy needs. Students will learn about the distinction between personal property and land, the framework for establishing and enforcing various different interests in land. It also introduces students to the principles of equity and their role in resolving property disputes.
The module aims to provide students with an understanding of how legal interests in property land are categorised, how they relate to one another, and how the law can resolve the most typical types of disputes about land. Students will gain a critical understanding of how policy interests inform land law, such as by examining the laws of leases and mortgages. The module also provides an introduction of the principles of equity, and examines how equitable principles have shaped the law’s approach to disputes around ownership of family homes.
1. Understand and analyse how interests in land and personal property are categorised
2. Understand and evaluate how and why the law protects different types of property interest, and how the law resolves disputes
3. Critically evaluate different areas of land law, in its social and historical context
4. Understand and critically analyse the difference between common law and equity, and the role of the trust in land law
5. Critically evaluate and develop persuasive arguments on how law balances the tension between land being a financial asset, and land providing a utility for society
6. Critically evaluate and reflect on how law balances the tension between the need for certainty in the conveyancing process, and the need for flexibility in achieving social justice
7. Interpret and apply statute and caselaw to solve disputes over land
Students will acquire the above knowledge and skills via a combination of lectures, tutorials and VLE resources, focusing around the following topics (with skills-based teaching having dedicated session as well as incorporated in all topics):
Autumn term
Weeks 1 & 2: Introduction to land law and advanced legal academic skills
Week 4-5: The idea and forms of property
Week 6: The horizontal and vertical boundaries of land
Week 7: Lost/found property and treasure
Week 8: Fixtures and chattels
Week 9: Introduction to 'equity' and the law of trusts
Week 10: Land registration
Spring term
Week 16: Proprietary estoppel
Weeks 17-18: Co-ownership and trusts of the family home
Weeks 19-20: Leases and licences
Weeks 21-22: Easements
Week 23: Freehold covenants
Weeks 24-25: Mortgages
Week 24: Values in contract law
Week 25: Revision
This module will be delivered by a weekly schedule of a one-hour lecture, and a one-hour tutorial. Additionally, the module requires students to complete a fortnightly MCQ via Moodle, to provide regular feedback, assist in tutorial preparation, and allow teaching staff to identify students with engagement needs. Your tutorials will enable you to discuss the material covered in lectures and the required readings, obtain feedback on your pre-class preparation and deepen your understanding of key concepts.