header-logo header-logo

Property case law: quarterly review (April 2025)

18 April 2025 / Fern Schofield , Gwyneth Everson
Issue: 8113 / Categories: Features , Property , Landlord&tenant , Housing
printer mail-detail
216133
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

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

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll