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Property case law: quarterly review (April 2025)

18 April 2025 / Fern Schofield , Gwyneth Everson
Issue: 8113 / Categories: Features , Property , Landlord&tenant , Housing
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In the first part of a new series for NLJ, Fern Schofield & Gwyneth Everson set out the facts & the significance of the most noteworthy property cases from the past few months
  • In the Supreme Court, judgments brought much-needed clarity on the doctrine of merger and on adverse possession.
  • The Court of Appeal clarified the scope of s 7 of the Interpretation Act 1978, and the High Court ruled on rights of first refusal, complex factual and legal background, and the limits of human rights arguments in property disputes.
  • The Privy Council ruled on the repudiation of lease, and the Hong Kong Court of Appeal distinguished between two types of trustees for limitation purposes.

Staying up to date with the latest legal developments is both a growing challenge and a critical responsibility for property lawyers. The first quarter of 2025 has brought a number of significant judgments that are essential to understand. In this article, we review landmark property cases from December

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Winckworth Sherwood—Tim Foley

Winckworth Sherwood—Tim Foley

Property litigation practice strengthened by partner hire

Kingsley Napley—Romilly Holland

Kingsley Napley—Romilly Holland

International arbitration team specialist joins the team

Red Lion Chambers—Maurice MacSweeney

Red Lion Chambers—Maurice MacSweeney

Set creates new client and business development role amid growth

NEWS
Property lawyers have given a cautious welcome to the government’s landmark Bill capping ground rents at £250, banning new leasehold properties and making it easier for leaseholders to switch to commonhold
Four Nightingale courts are to be made permanent, as justice ministers continue to grapple with the record-level Crown Court backlog
The judiciary has set itself a trio of objectives and a trio of focus areas for the next five years, in its Judicial Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2026-2030

The Sentencing Act 2026 received royal assent last week, bringing into law the recommendations of David Gauke’s May 2025 Independent Sentencing Review

Victims of crime are to be given free access to transcripts of Crown Court sentencing remarks, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has confirmed
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