Land Law (Erasmus)

Overview

This course is a core requirement for graduates seeking a Qualifying Law Degree. Together with Equity and Contemporary Issues in Property Law, it addresses foundational aspects of the law of property. To maximise opportunities available to graduates post qualifications, both Northern Irish and English property laws are studied together, and useful comparative perspectives are drawn to students' attention.
Within Land Law, the specific topics include: the nature of property rights; ownership; the doctrines of tenure and estates; registration of title; licences; proprietary estoppel; the landlord and tenant relationship; co-ownership; mortgages; easements; restrictive covenants. The informal creation of rights in family homes is covered in Equity.

Learning Objectives

In the course of studying land law, students will acquire knowledge and understanding of the:
1 Key concepts of property, and the basic structures of the property laws of Northern Ireland and England & Wales;
2 core rules and principles of the current land laws of Northern Ireland and England & Wales, and (where approrpriate) will be able to differentiate the rules of these jurisdictions in a critical and comparative context;
Students will also acquire the ability to:
1 apply existing rules of land law to complex legal problems;
2 plan and conduct independent reading on difficult questions of land law doctrine, and present conclusions orally and as a written essay;
3 identify the need for and discuss strategies for land law reform, and anaylse the operation of existing rules on a theoretical, doctrinal and societal level

Skills

Doctrinal analysis; handling case law and statutes; deal with complex issues systematically and creatively; analyse, evaluate and interpret information; synthesise information from a variety of sources; apply conceptual information to practical legal problems; develop and defend reasoned opinions, an understanding of research techniques.

Assessment

Assessment which reflects the learning outcomes and required skills.