In this special anniversary episode of CULSCAST: Beyond Doctrine, we explore how a century-old statute continues to shape the legal landscape of property in profound and surprising ways.

An all‑stars of land law, joined by Lorna Fox‑O’Mahony, Lorren Eldridge, Martin Dixon, and David Sawtell, this episode explores 100 years of the Law of Property Act and its enduring impact.

Since its passage in 1925, the Law of Property Act (LPA) has been one of the cornerstones of English land law — simplifying centuries-old rules, reorganising property interests, and laying the groundwork for modern conveyancing and ownership frameworks. In our discussion, we delve into the Act’s foundational simplification of land ownership, the balance between legal and equitable rights, the evolution of statutory mortgages and formalities, and contemporary debates around leasehold, digital formality, and whether the LPA’s structure remains fit for the 21st century.

Hoping you all had a very merry Christmas and wishing you all a Happy New Year — see you in 2026!

In Beyond Doctrine, Janice speaks to interesting lawyers doing interesting things. Each episode steps outside black-letter law to uncover the ideas, careers, and curiosities shaping the legal world today. From emerging scholarship to unexpected professional paths, Beyond Doctrine explores how law lives, evolves, and influences the world far beyond the page.

In this episode, Janice speaks to Dr Poorna Mysoor on her book Copyright as Personal Property (Oxford University Press, 2025). The book challenges the traditional view of copyright as merely a statutory right and argues instead that it should be understood more like personal property — drawing analogies with land and tangible property to explore how copyright operates, how its boundaries can be better justified, and how its expansion might be meaningfully contained.

Dr Poorna Mysoor is a Fellow in Law at Lucy Cavendish College and an affiliated lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge. Her research lies at the intersection of private law and intellectual property, and she was previously a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow at the University of Oxford.

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In the new series, Beyond Doctrine, Janice speaks to interesting lawyers doing interesting things. Each episode steps outside black-letter law to uncover the ideas, careers, and curiosities shaping the legal world today. From emerging scholarship to unexpected professional paths, Beyond Doctrine explores how law lives, evolves, and influences the world far beyond the page. In this episode, Janice speaks to Alistair Mills on the book he recently co-edited (with David Blundell KC and Miranda Butler) ‘The Law and Practice of Human Rights’.

This book is a comprehensive yet practical guide to human rights law in the UK. Rooted in the European Convention on Human Rights but also grounded in the enduring relevance of common law traditions, it brings together a team of 32 practitioners experts (many from Landmark Chambers) to deliver both legal analysis and actionable insight.

Alistair Mills is the Dias College Assistant Professor in Law at Magdalene College, Cambridge. Before joining academia full time, he practised as a barrister at Landmark Chambers. He is a Co-Editor of the journal Judicial Review and an Assistant Editor of the Encyclopedia of Planning Law and Practice.

Follow us on our socials to stay up to date with all things CULS:

📸 Instagram: [@cambridgelawsociety]

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camlawsoc/?locale=en_GB

To find out more about CULS or to become a member, visit our website 📝