1. Fundamental concepts

Titles in the Core Text series take the reader straight to the heart of the subject, providing focused, concise, and reliable guides for students at all levels. This chapter introduces a number of concepts that are fundamental to an understanding of the contemporary law of land in England and Wales. It discusses: definition of ‘land’ as physical reality; the notion of abstract ‘estates’ in land as the medium of ownership; the relationship between law and equity; the meaning of ‘property’ in land; the impact of human rights on property concepts; the ambivalence of common law perspectives on ‘land’; the statutory organisation of proprietary rights in land; and the underlying policy motivations that drive the contemporary law of land.