Course Catalogue

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This course allows students to develop a critical understanding of practical aspects of the law by acquiring in-depth knowledge of comparative property law across 4 jurisdictions, as well as historical elements to help them understand the formation of this law. It builds upon foundational knowledge of property law to explore some practical aspects of the law through comparison.

Each seminar will feature a short discussion of the historical roots of specific property law mechanisms, then focus on how they unfold in contemporary property law across four jurisdictions (Scotland, England, France and Germany). By learning about different ways in which fundamental property law questions can be answered, students will be able to look at the specifics and practicalities of their own legal system in a new light.

There will be 10 x 2-hour seminars

This course is only available to LLB students.

Visiting students are required to have taken an equivalent to Property Law or Land Law.

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1. Summative essay: 4000 words (80% of final assessment) Formative and summative: 1000 words detailed outline of the essay (20% of final assessment) The paper will discuss a question at the crossroads between the history of property law, comparative law and contemporary issues in Scots law. Students are not required to follow the course materials in doing so, if they adhere to the methodology and general spirit of the course. Example topics will be given at the start of the semester. Students can either pick one of those topics or confer with the course convenor if they would rather work on a different question.

The aims of this course are:

1. to introduce students to advanced concepts in property law,

2. to acquaint them with important property law questions and the reasons for the differences observed across jurisdictions, and

3. make them aware of important differences with other legal systems, so they may better reflect on their own national law.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. critically analyse and explain specific areas in property law,

2. explain how blackletter law was influenced by historical legal mechanisms - and how it has evolved since

demonstrate a nuanced understanding of property law and appreciate the main practical and conceptual differences that exist today between different jurisdictions.