Overview

The module will allow the student to study English and Welsh land law, including the nature of land, the development of land law, the law relating to land registration and the distinction between registered and unregistered land, title to land, settlements of land, trusts of land and co-ownership, the law relating to freehold and leasehold estates in land, adverse possession, easements and profits a prendre, freehold covenants, the regulation of mortgages, the regulation of leases, licences and proprietary estoppel.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -Threshold: D- to D+ (40-49%) An answer which, while predominantly correct in its presentation of material, contains a significant level of error and is therefore not entirely reliable.

-good -Good: B- to B+ (60-69%) High Standard: A comprehensive answer, containing all the material relevant to the question and no irrelevancy, all the material and references being accurate and correct, there being no inaccuracy or error, the whole presented in an argument which, while clear, logical and critical, leaves room for improvement in its construction and presentation. An answer which shows complete competence in the subject.

-excellent -Excellent: A- to A* (70+%) An outstanding answer containing all the material relevant to the question and no irrelevancy, all the material and references being accurate and correct, there being no inaccuracy or error, the whole presented in a clear, logical, critical argument with little room for improvement. An answer which demonstrates a complete mastery of the subject.

-another level-C- to C+: C- to C+ (50-59%) An answer which, while always in the main accurate and correct, fails to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant material and is lacking in criticism. An answer which while reliable with regard to correctness is either not comprehensive or not entirely pertinent.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply a detailed knowledge of English and Welsh land law to complex actual or hypothetical factual scenarios;

• Critically explain the reasoning behind, and the practical implications of key twentieth and twenty-first century legislation relating to English land law – including the reforms of 1925, the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996, the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 and the Land Registration Act 2002;

• Critically relate the principal historical and contemporary characteristics of English and Welsh land law to their political, social, economic and cultural context, including an exploration into the relationship between land law and human rights in relevant topic areas.

• Demonstrate a critical appreciation of the ways in which rights and interests in land are protected both at law and in equity, and in relation to registered and unregistered land;

• Show familiarity with the research and literature related to English and Welsh land law;

• Undertake independent legal research in relation to English and Welsh land law.