This course provides an overview of the law governing personal and real property, emphasising the concepts of possession and title, the fragmentation of proprietary interests, and the various ways in which common law and legislation resolve disputes between competing interests.  The greater part of the course is devoted to the creation, acquisition, attributes and remedies for the protection of interests in real property (land).  The course covers legal and equitable interests in land, the acquisition and transfer of such interests by purchase and adverse possession, priority rules, leases, mortgages, easements, and concurrent ownership.  Particular attention is paid to the Torrens system of registration of title.

At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to:

• understand basic concepts and principles of property law relating to personal and real property, with greater attention to interests in land
• understand the role of property law in providing tools for commercial and private property dealings, including transfers, financing loans, leasing land, sharing ownership, and regulating land use
• assess the values and policy considerations in the legal regulation of such property transactions, including efficiency, security, certainty, equity and social justice
• engage in problem solving in relation to property disputes.

The proposed means of assessment for this course will provide students with the option of undertaking at least two pieces of assessment, including one piece during the semester.  More information about the means of assessment, including the relationship between the assessment and the learning outcomes of the course, will be available on the course home page by the first week of semester.

Students are generally expected to devote approximately 10 hours overall per week to this course.

Contracts LAWS1204
Completed or completing five LAWS courses at 1000 level

Information about prescribed texts will be made available in the course outline.  See the course home page.

The preliminary reading required for this course will be available from the course home page at least one week prior to the commencement of the course.

A reading guide will be available on the course web page.

Property assumes a sound grasp of contract principles and remedies.  Equity and Trusts is a compulsory course which follows on from Property.  Elective courses which deal further with personal property are Commercial Law and Intellectual Property.  Succession, Environmental Law and Indigenous Australians and the Law build on principles established in Property.

Property is not a course in conveyancing, which is covered in Practical Legal Training courses.