Property Law Annual Lecture

‘Licences of Commercial Premises: The Reach of Street v Mountford’ - February 2022

Tuesday 15th February

Professor Michael Haley - Professor of Property Law, Keele University

In this lecture, Professor Haley will consider the seminal decision of Lord Templeman in Street v Mountford and its impact on the lease or licence distinction in relation to commercial property. It will examine the background to the decision, consider the mischief at which it was addressed and analyse whether the reasoning of Lord Templeman should apply with full force outside the residential sphere. The diverse uses to which commercial property can be put, the different range of terms that commercial agreements can legitimately employ and the advantages for many occupiers of having a licence agreement of commercial premises, demonstrate clearly that it should not. The lecture aims to offer a fresh perspective on this celebrated case.

Watch a video recording of the event:

'Property law, the pandemic and cybercrime', February 2021

Subtitled, "Recent issues relating to the law of property and trusts in relation to the pandemic and the use of bitcoin."

The lecture, delivered by Professor The Honourable Mr. Justice Snowden, Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster.

'Property Voices in the shadow of Grenfell', February 2020

Professor Susan Bright, New College, Oxford University

Since the terrible tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire in which 72 people died on 14th June 2017 it has emerged that thousands of other residential buildings also fail to meet fire safety requirements. Property law is letting down those living in these blocks. They want their homes made safe to live in, but have no power to compel anyone to fix the problem. They lose sleep worrying about personal safety, and the crippling bills that they have to pay for interim safety measures and for fixing the building. They are trapped in homes that they cannot sell or mortgage.

The cladding scandal, as well as the wider contemporary debates around leasehold reform and commonhold, should cause us to pause and ask whether the way in which leasehold law presently distributes power and control is right. By listening to the voices of leaseholders, this lecture reflects on theoretical questions about the structure of property law, or more particularly leasehold law, and suggests that the time has come to rethink the idea of ownership in relation to multi-owned properties. It is time to ask what a model of property that supports propriety would look like.

This Liverpool Law School event is held in conjunction with Chancery & Commercial Practice Group, Atlantic Chambers Liverpool.