Program Overview

Introduction to LAWS 301 Property Law

The history and principles of the law relating to real and personal property, choses in action, and their assignment are central to a legal education. This course deals with the acquisition, content, and consequences of property rights in law.

Course Details

• Dates: 23 February 2026 to 8 November 2026
• Starts: Trimester 1+2
• Fees:
  • NZ$2,040.00 for domestic students
  • NZ$10,330.80 for international students
• Lecture Start Times:
  • Monday 12:40 pm
  • Wednesday 12:40 pm
• Campus: Pipitea
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 300 hours or 8.1 hours per week for 37 weeks
• Points: 30
• Availability: Limited entry

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: 60 LAWS 200-level points
• Corequisites: 60 further LAWS 200-level points, including LAWS 211 and LAWS 312
• Restrictions: LAWS 314

About This Course

A study of the law of property is central to a legal education. It deals with the acquisition, content, and consequences of property rights in law. The course examines the basic conceptual and doctrinal foundations of property, including the idea of property or 'proprietary' rights, and the doctrines applicable to property in goods and chattels.

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

1. Explain and analyze the important basic concepts of property and property law, including Māori property concepts.
2. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of specific areas and legal doctrines relating to property law.
3. Apply these legal concepts and doctrines in fact-based problem-solving and analytical discussion.

How This Course is Taught

The course is taught through lectures accompanied by a tutorial program, optimized for in-person learning with recordings available.

Assessment

• Exam: 60%, in-person, using Inspera and BYOD typed, during the end-of-year exam period.
• Test 1: 40%, in-person, using Inspera and BYOD typed, during the mid-year exam period.

Mandatory Requirements

To pass this course, students must:

1. Complete all pieces of assessment.
2. Attend at least 5 out of 7 tutorials in Trimester 1 and 6 out of 8 tutorials in Trimester 2.
3. Obtain a minimum of 40% in each piece of assessment.

Recommended Texts

• Garrow and Fenton's Law of Personal Property in New Zealand, 7th edition, by Roger Fenton, published by LexisNexis in 2010.
• New Zealand Land Law, 3rd edition, by Elizabeth Toomey, published by Thomson Reuters in 2017.

Course Outline

This course outline may be subject to change. Key dates, including mid-trimester teaching breaks, can be found on the University's key dates calendar. Assessment dates will be provided once the course has begun.