Dr Jill Robbie: Resisting Regulation of Property in the Context of Sustainability

Property law, and ownership in particular, comprises the rules which often most directly regulate the use of our natural resources. Property law, from a legal perspective, can be seen as an abstract system of rules which is independent from the social, political, historical and environmental context of a specific country. Deeper consideration, however, and comparison between jurisdictions, reveals that property law reflects the values of a particular country which originate from the priorities of the individual society. These values can be expressed in court decisions, legislation and constitutional provisions.

In this seminar, Dr Robbie will investigate which traits of property law can function as resistance to measures in favour of sustainability, drawing on particular examples from Norway and the United States of America. Dr Robbie suggest that understanding the way that property law and ownership functions within a social and constitutional context is crucial for fostering sustainable land use in light of growing global challenges such as continuing environmental degradation, increasing industrialisation and rising inequality.