header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
17 April 2008 / Andrew Francis
Issue: 7317 / Categories: Opinion , Legal services , Procedure & practice , Constitutional law
printer mail-detail

The law of light

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Andrew Francis examines why the rights of light law needs changing and what form such reform should take

What do the following events have in common? The coronation of Richard I in 1189. The second and third years of the reign of William IV in 1832. The signing of the Entente Cordiale in 1904. The opening of the first section of the M1 motorway in 1959. All these dates have a bearing on rights of light. It is extraordinary to reflect that they span over 750 years. The law of light cannot be described as having modern foundations.

Why is Reform Needed?

There are two reasons why reform is overdue. First, the way in which rights of light can arise is complex and fragmented. Secondly, the state of the law can be a disincentive to development, particularly in inner city regeneration projects.

Acquisition of the right

Most features are archaic. Prescription at common law must be founded upon enjoyment since 1189. That is not a promising start.

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Keystone Law—Milena Szuniewicz-Wenzel & Ian Hopkinson

Keystone Law—Milena Szuniewicz-Wenzel & Ian Hopkinson

International arbitration team strengthened by double partner hire

Coodes Solicitors—Pam Johns, Rachel Pearce & Bradley Kaine

Coodes Solicitors—Pam Johns, Rachel Pearce & Bradley Kaine

Firm celebrates trio holding senior regional law society and junior lawyers division roles

Michelman Robinson—Sukhi Kaler

Michelman Robinson—Sukhi Kaler

Partner joins commercial and business litigation team in London

NEWS
Read All
Legal Action Group set out 2026 events calendar
The Legal Action Group (LAG)—the UK charity dedicated to advancing access to justice—has unveiled its calendar of training courses, seminars and conferences designed to support lawyers, advisers and other legal professionals in tackling key areas of public interest law
NLJ this week: 40 years on, has PACE lost its edge?
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 transformed criminal justice. Writing in NLJ this week, Ed Cape of UWE and Matthew Hardcastle and Sandra Paul of Kingsley Napley trace its ‘seismic impact’
NLJ this week: Stress-testing the City
Operational resilience is no longer optional. Writing in NLJ this week, Emma Radmore and Michael Lewis of Womble Bond Dickinson explain how UK regulators expect firms to identify ‘important business services’ that could cause ‘intolerable levels of harm’ if disrupted
NLJ this week: Mandelson, Epstein & the court of popular opinion
As the drip-feed of Epstein disclosures fuels ‘collateral damage’, the rush to cry misconduct in public office may be premature. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke of Hill Dickinson warns that the offence is no catch-all for political embarrassment. It demands a ‘grave departure’ from proper standards, an ‘abuse of the public’s trust’ and conduct ‘sufficiently serious to warrant criminal punishment’
NLJ this week: Volunteers, promotions & perilous appeals
Employment law is shifting at the margins. In his latest Employment Law Brief for NLJ this week, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School examines a Court of Appeal ruling confirming that volunteers are not a special legal species and may qualify as ‘workers’
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll