LAU22511 Land Law

Learning Outcomes  

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

• Critically reflect on the tensions that underpin and affect land law from theoretical and policy perspectives;  

• Engage with the interaction between public and private law rules and standards in the context of land;  

• Identify and analyse the evolution of land law and the complexities of the system in Ireland;  

• Outline the body of common law, equitable principles and legislation governing the ways in which land may be acquired, held and alienated;  

• Analyse and apply substantive areas in land law.  

Module Learning Aims  

The module aims to give students an excellent understanding of the core principles of Irish land law and the ability to apply that understanding to solve complex property law problems. It also aims to facilitate students in developing their own critical perspectives on private ownership and the manner in which it is reflected in, and implemented through, legal rules.  

  
Module Content  

This module introduces the student to the considerable body of common law, equitable principles and legislation which governs the various ways in which land may be acquired, held and alienated. It commences with an analysis of the public law protections for rights in land in the Irish legal system, through the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. It engages in critical reflection on the theoretical rationales for private ownership that underpin and affect land law, and on other perspectives from economics and politics that influence the shape of land law. It considers the evolution of land law through both common law and statute, an understanding of which is fundamental to an appreciation of the complex system in operation in Ireland today. A key focus throughout is the changes wrought to Irish land law by the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009. The substantive areas dealt with include the nature of the freehold and leasehold estates in land, co-ownership, the use of land as security, and rights over land (easements and covenants).  

Recommended Reading List  

Full reading list is circulated in September, covering all topics including seminars.