This book examines constitutional rights to property in Commonwealth countries. It concentrates on the central issues of a right to property, such as the meaning of "property," and "adequate" or "fair" compensation. Many judges use comparative law to resolve constitutional cases. However, very few books have been written on comparative law in the Commonwealth. It also examines the historical background in the fundamental principles of the British constitution and the colonial system. The analysis is both practical and theoretical, and it will be useful to academic and practicing lawyers.
Author(s): Tom Allen
Series: Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 294
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Table of cases......Page 13
Acknowledgements......Page 25
1 Introduction......Page 27
Outline of chapters......Page 29
Parliament and property......Page 39
Property rights and statutory interpretation......Page 42
Presumptions of interpretation and compensation......Page 43
Fundamental law and 'property'......Page 46
Statutory interpretation and the purpose of acquisition......Page 48
Fundamental law: recent developments......Page 50
The royal prerogative and property......Page 55
The extent of the prerogative......Page 56
Compensation and the prerogative......Page 58
The prerogatives in the colonies......Page 59
Conclusions......Page 61
Introduction......Page 62
Property rights in the colonies......Page 64
Australia......Page 65
Government of Ireland Act 1920......Page 67
Government of India Act 1935......Page 69
Constituent Assembly......Page 72
Amendments......Page 75
The European Convention on Human Rights......Page 80
Malaysia......Page 83
The Nigerian-model bills of rights......Page 84
The Nigerian property provisions......Page 86
Opening provisions......Page 88
'Property'......Page 89
'Taking possession' and 'acquisition' of property......Page 90
'Public purpose'......Page 91
Compensation......Page 92
Limitation clauses......Page 93
Canadian Bill of Rights and Trinidad and Tobago......Page 95
Namibia......Page 97
The interim constitution......Page 99
The final Constitution......Page 102
Other modern constitutions......Page 106
Conclusions......Page 107
Introduction......Page 109
Legalism and constitutional interpretation......Page 111
Types of legalism......Page 112
Challenges to legalism......Page 115
Alternatives to legalism: the constitution as a sui generis instrument......Page 121
Historical interpretation......Page 124
Constitutional structure and interpretation......Page 131
Interpretation and ethical values......Page 135
Conflicts in methods of interpretation......Page 138
5 The meaning of property......Page 145
The plain meaning of property: 'ordinary' property and 'legal' property......Page 146
'Legal' property and property interests......Page 148
Regulation......Page 151
Possession......Page 154
Transferability......Page 160
Wealth as property: the economic value of rights......Page 165
Possession and transferability as liberal values......Page 169
Corporate property......Page 173
Customary interests in land......Page 177
Social welfare benefits......Page 179
Conclusions......Page 187
Introduction......Page 188
The reasons for the interference......Page 189
The police power and the motive for state action......Page 205
Rationality and proportionality......Page 211
General limitation clauses: Namibia and South Africa......Page 218
Proportionality as the overarching principle......Page 220
Conclusions......Page 225
7 Public purpose......Page 227
The redistribution problem......Page 229
The holdout problem......Page 238
Conclusions......Page 247
Constitutional law and compensation standards......Page 249
Full compensation for loss......Page 250
Proportionality and compensation......Page 266
South Africa: 'just and equitable' compensation......Page 273
Other provisions on compensation......Page 276
Conclusions......Page 277
Bibliography......Page 279
Index......Page 289
