Module Directory

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 aims of this module are:

• 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.


• To gain a critical understanding of how policy interests inform land law, such as by examining the laws of leases and mortgages.


• To provide an introduction of the principles of equity, and examine how equitable principles have shaped the law’s approach to disputes around ownership of family homes.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Understand the categorisation of interests in land and their characteristics.


2. Analyse the difference between common law and equity, and the role of trusts of land.


3. Analyse and apply legal principles, rules and concepts to resolve complex disputes related to land, interpreting case law and legislation effectively.


4. Critically evaluate how law balances competing tensions between the need for certainty in conveyancing and for achieving social justice.


5. Demonstrate proficiency in legal reasoning and legal writing, and in advising clients on complex land law matters.


6. Extract and synthesise relevant information from diverse legal sources and client interviews.


7. Communicate legal advice clearly and concisely across different formats, tailoring advice to audience and purpose.


8. Collaborate effectively with peers to develop detailed legal solutions and present persuasive arguments.


9. Manage workload efficiently, independently conducting research, writing, and legal analysis.

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

• Introduction to land law and advanced legal academic skills


• The idea and forms of property


• The horizontal and vertical boundaries of land


• Lost/found property and treasure


• Fixtures and chattels


• Introduction to 'equity' and the law of trusts


• Land registration

Spring term

• Proprietary estoppel


• Co-ownership and trusts of the family home


• Leases and licences


• Easements


• Freehold covenants


• Mortgages


• Values in contract law


• Revision

This module will be delivered via:

• One 1-hour lecture per week
• One 1-hour tutorial per week

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.