The European Court of Human Rights has today handed down its judgment that the UK's law of adverse possession (which allows an unopposed squatter to claim legal title to the land they occupy after 12 years) is not a breach of the owner's human rights.

The circumstances of the case were reported previously and involved a valuable parcel of land in Oxforshire. However, since this case commenced there have been changes to the law the practical effect of which makes obtaining legal title by adverse possession more difficult.