17. Property Law and Human Rights

This chapter reflects on the interaction between property law and human rights law. Property law and human rights can interact in a number of different ways. The major division distinguishes those cases where human rights arguments are made to ‘bolster’ an existing property law-based argument, and those where the human rights argument is made to attempt to limit the scope of a property right. Thus, one can see the rules of property law and human rights working together, or they can be in conflict. The chapter first identifies the sources of human rights in English law, and then considers which rights are particularly important in relation to property law. It also looks at the mechanics by which key human rights interact with property law, and examines the question of horizontal effect in that context. Finally, the chapter addresses how human rights arguments have had influence in particular areas of land law, focusing on adverse possession, leases, actions for possession against trespassers, and mortgages.