Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2026-2027
Module LAW3631: Land Law
Department: Law
LAW3631: Land Law
| Type | Tied | Level | 3 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2026/2027 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
| Tied to | M105 |
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Prerequisites
- LAW1121 Introduction to English Law and Legal Method and LAW1051 Law of Torts and LAW1071 Contract Law.
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None
Aims
- To provide students with a sound understanding of the various rights and interests that can affect land.
- To provide a good working knowledge of how rights and interests in land are acquired, protected and transferred
- To enable students to apply this knowledge in order to resolve competing claims to land
- To encourage an awareness of the social and economic contexts and the systemic goals that influence the regulation of interests in land.
Content
- Wider concepts of land including social, economic and political perspectives and connected themes
- The nature and scope of land ownership, including fixtures, tenure and estate
- Interests in land: legal and equitable
- Registered and unregistered land
- The impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on land law
- Adverse Possession
- Landlord and Tenant
- Licences and Proprietary Estoppel
- Mortgages
- Easements
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- Students will acquire and be able to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of several areas of English land law, together with an awareness of the limitations of knowledge in the subject.
Subject-specific Skills:
- Identify relevant principles of law
- Apply those principles to solve land law problems with minimal guidance
- Analyse case law and interpret statutes
Key Skills:
- Acquisition of knowledge through critical analysis of primary and secondary sources
- Synthesis, critical judgment and evaluation of ideas and arguments
- Written communication skills.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Student learning will be facilitated by both large and small group teaching
- Large group teaching will be used to introduce topics, and direct student learning in particular areas. Some lecturers will concentrate on applied skills, particularly problem solving in land law
- Small group teaching will encourage in depth analysis of material
- Module staff will provide on-going support and guidance as appropriate.
- The examination tests the ability to focus on relevant legal issues and organise knowledge and argument appropriate to questions raised. The examination questions will provide the means for students to demonstrate the acquisition of subject knowledge and the development of their problem-solving skills.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 | Weekly | 1 hour | 20 | |
| Tutorials | 5 | Normally two in Michaelmas Term and three in Epiphany Term | 1 hour | 5 | Yes ■ |
| Preparation and Reading | 175 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Online Examination | Component Weighting: 100% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Online Examination | 2 hours | 100% | |
Formative Assessment:
One essay and one in-class exercise during the year.
■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.