Staff profile

Chris Bevan is Professor in Property Law having joined Durham Law School in September 2019 after 6 years in the School of Law at the University of Nottingham. Chris has served as Deputy Dean, Director of Research and Director of Post-graduate Research at Durham Law School. Prior to entering academia, Chris practised as a common law barrister specialising in matters of employment, property, housing and family law. Chris graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2007 with degrees in both Modern Languages and Law and was awarded his MA (Cantab.) in 2012. Chris has experience as a Tutor on the BPTC (the barrister professional training course) and maintains strong connections with the world of legal practice. Chris is Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; author of the acclaimed textbook, Land Law (4th Edn forthcoming 2024 with Oxford University Press); won ‘Lecturer of the Year’ in 2017 and, in 2015, was awarded the prestigious Lord Dearing Award for outstanding, world-class contribution to enhancing the student experience. Chris is honorary member of the Property Bar Association; academic member of the Property Litigation Association and invited member of the esteemed Academic Panel at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square Chambers, London. Chris is also a Door Tenant at KCH Garden Square barristers chambers. In 2018, Chris became an invited, nominated Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 2023, Chris was awarded the higher doctorate of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in recognition of his ‘sustained, distinguished work of considerable scholarly impact.’

Current Research

Chris’ research interests are situated on the intersection between land, housing, homelessness and social welfare law. Chris has published widely on matters of domestic land law, social housing, housing legislation in its broadest sense and homelessness. Chris’ scholarship has appeared in leading law journals including The Modern Law Review, Law Quarterly Review, The Cambridge Law Journal, The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer and Child and Family Law Quarterly.

Esteem Indicators

2023: Awarded Higher Doctorate, Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in recognition of ‘sustained and distinguished research of considerable scholarly impact’

2022: Invited, Research Fellow of Earth System Governance (ESG)

2022: Member of Durham University Evidence Centre for Education (DECE)

2022: Member of Editorial Advisory Board of Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law

2022: Co-convenor of First-Generation Scholars Network in Law 

2021: Honorary Member of Property Bar Association and Academic Member of Property Litigation Association

2021: Fellow and Advisory Board Member of Durham University’s Wolfson Institute of Health & Wellbeing

2021: Member and Management Board Member of Durham University’s Institute of Hazard, Risk & Resilience (IHRR)

2021: Case note Editor of the Conveyancer & Property Law Journal

2018: Nominated as Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts: engaging widely with the RSA’s global network of stakeholders in pursuit of improvements to society through ideas, research and action and the EDI agenda, in particular

2018: Invited Fellow of Cambridge University Centre for Property Law

2018: Appointed Honorary Member of Chambers & Invited Member of Expert Academic Panel, Gray’s Inn Square Chambers: leading London set renowned in commercial, housing & property law

2017: Senior Fellowship of Advance HE (formerly Higher Education Academy) 

2017: Winner, University Lecturer of the Year

2016: Shortlisted for Routledge/Association of Law Teachers Law with Technology Prize

2015: Awarded prestigious Lord Dearing Award for world-class contribution to the Higher Education and student experience.

Postgraduate Research Supervision

Chris supervises postgraduate research students across land, property, housing and homelessness law broadly-construed: Master of Jurisprudence (MJur) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Chris is delighted to receive and explore research proposals from students wishing to pursue a research degree with him in any of these areas. Chris has, additionally, acted as examining chair and external examiner of PhDs and other research degrees at a diverse range of institutions and warmly welcomes invitations in this or similar roles.

Presentations & Conferences

In line with the University’s Strategy 2017-2027 and wider internationalisation agenda, and in order to enhance the international reach of my research and teaching practice, Chris is delighted to be invited regularly to deliver conference papers both domestically and overseas including:

European Network of Housing Research (Nicosia; Uppsala); Law & Society Association (Denver; Washington DC); Modern Studies in Property Law; Socio-Legal Studies Association; Association of Law, Property & Society; Increasing the Employment Prospects of UK Graduates Conference; E-Learning and Innovative Pedagogies Network (Toronto); International Conference on Education (Venice); The Future of Legal Education (London, Florence); Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association Conference 2017 (Paisley); International Conference on the Future of Education (Stockholm); Multidisciplinary Conference on Research and Education (Zurich); Society of Legal Scholars.

Research Funding & Grants

• 2024: Society of Legal Scholars - £3,000 - 'Property and Trusts: Developing the Discipline and Overcoming Teaching & Research Challenges'

 

• 2023: Research Impact Fund (RIF) - £15,000 - 'Challenges to Homelessness Prevention'

 

• 2022: Socio-Legal Studies Association - £1,000 'Legal Masterplots' (with Professor David Gurnham, Southampton)

 

• 2021: Research Impact Fund (RIF) - £15,985 - 'The impact of Covid-19 on local authority homelessness provision'

 

• 2018: Society of Legal Scholars Research Activity Fund - £1,000 - funding research visit to Uppsala University to collaborate with European Housing Network

 

• 2017: Society of Legal Scholars Research Activity Fund - £1,000 funding work into the impact of the Housing and Planning Act 2016

 

• 2017: Education Partnership Fund - £6,000 funding a series of high-level conference presentations and collaborations with innovative Higher Education institutions in Europe, the US and Canada

 

• 2016: Careers and Employability Service Employability Fund - £2,500 funding a project entitled ‘Exploring Employability Initiatives for Students from Lower-Income Families’

 

• 2016: Society of Legal Scholars Research Fund - £500 funding involvement in Association for Law, Property & Society Conference 2016

Responsibilities & Administrative Role

Chris is currently Director of PGR Scholarships and Director of External Engagement. He has served previously as Deputy Dean, Director of Research and previously as Director of Postgraduate Research in Law. Chris has made use of this platform and his active engagement on Faculty PGR committees to advance and promote improvements to the PGR student experience, PGR well-being initiatives and generally to contribute to the development of an outstanding and world-leading research and PGR environment at Durham.

Chris also takes a leading role in the Law School in all matters employability-related; maintains close links with the legal profession and engages with law firms and barristers chambers to develop and promote innovative EDI initiatives and schemes designed to advance diversity and access to the Bar.

Teaching

Chris has considerable experience as module convenor for the Land Law and Trusts Law modules and has lectured extensively on matters of property, housing and homelessness law. Chris is passionate about the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda and this informs all aspects of his teaching including mentoring junior colleagues, sharing best practice, spearheading new EDI initiatives, reviewing the diversity of curriculum materials, encouraging expression of diverse perspectives and being aware of the ‘hidden curriculum’ and of unconscious bias. Chris is currently spearheading a student-led decolonization project to decolonize and diversify land law undergraduate teaching. In recognition of Chris’ contribution to teaching and his innovative, pedagogy and research-led reaching, in 2017, Chris won University Lecturer of the Year (across all faculties) and, in 2015, received the prestigious Lord Dearing Award for world-leading teaching excellence. In 2016, Chris completed his Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) and, in 2017, became Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Chris deploys innovative approaches to teaching including using technology to enhance the student learning experience. In 2020, Chris devised, designed and delivered a first for the Law School, the Durham Employability & Legal Skills Award: an entirely online Award allowing students to test and hone their employability and graduate preparedness across 16 key capabilities. In 2020, Chris also launched his ‘Land Law Voices’ Project; a first of its kind: a catalogue of video recordings from expert land law scholars from across institutions coming together to offer diverse and fascinating perspectives on property law. The project is living, and breathing and will be expanded over the coming months: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfVj4mOhRcWJSVfDbi4ulBQ. In 2016, in recognition of his technology-led teaching ethos, Chris was shortlisted for the Routledge/Association of Law Teachers: Law with Technology Prize.

• Land Law
• Property Law & Theory
• Homelessness Law and Policy
• Housing Law and Policy
• Trusts

Authored book

• Bevan, C. (in press). Land Law. (4th Edition). Oxford University Press
• Bevan, C. (2022). Land Law (3rd Edn, April, 2022). (3rd ed). Oxford University Press
• Bevan, C. (2020). Land Law. (2nd). OUP
• Bevan, C. (2018). Land Law. OUP

Chapter in book

• Bevan, C., Ahmed, S., & Mogeni, S. (in press). Decolonising and diversifying land law: A critical analysis of current issues in the modern land law curriculum. In I. Wieczorek (Ed.), Decolonising Legal Education at Durham Law School. Taylor and Francis
• Bevan, C. (in press). Desert and Redemption: The Homelessness Masterplot. In C. Bevan, & D. Gurnham (Eds.), Narrative & Masterplot. Routledge
• Bevan, C. Property, Law & Theory: Revisiting Classical Accounts and Exploring Contemporary Contexts and Challenges. In C. Bevan (Ed.), Research Handbook on Property, Law and Theory. Edward Elgar Publishing
• Bevan, C. (2024). Introduction: Learning Lessons Across Borders. In C. Bevan (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of Global Perspectives on Homelessness, Law & Policy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274056-1
• Bevan, C., Serpa, R., & Gray, P. (2024). 25 Years of Devolution and a (dis)United Kingdom Homelessness Policy. In C. Bevan (Ed.), Routledge Handbook of Global Perspectives on Homelessness, Law & Policy. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274056-3
• Bevan, C. (2023). Property Guardianship: The New Battleground for the Lease/Licence Distinction in English Property Law. In N. Mrockova, A. Nair, & L. Rostill (Eds.), Modern Studies in Property Law, Volume 12. Hart Publishing
• Bevan, C. (2021). Challenging Home as a Concept in Modern Property Law post-Stack and Kernott. In W. Barr (Ed.), Modern Studies In Property Law Volume 8. (Volume 8). Hart Publishing

Edited book

• Bevan, C. (Ed.). (in press). Research Handbook on Property, Law and Theory. Edward Elgar Publishing
• Bevan, C., & Gurnham, D. (Eds.). (in press). Law, Narrative and Masterplot: New Research Perspectives. Routledge. Manuscript submitted for publication
• Bevan, C. (2024). The Routledge Handbook of Global Perspectives on Homelessness, Law & Policy (2024). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274056

Journal Article

• Bevan, C., & Darlington, E. (online). Challenging a TR1 Express Declaration of Trust: Setting the Record Straight. Family Law,
• Bevan, C. (in press). 100 Years of Actual Occupation as an Overriding Interest in English & Welsh Land Law: Challenging the Rationale and Making the Radical Case for Abolition. Legal Studies,
• Bevan, C. (in press). Reforming the Law of Severance: The Modern Case for Abolition of Equitable Joint Tenancies. Law Quarterly Review,
• Bevan, C. (2024). Precedent before Principle: Adverse Possession, “Reasonable Belief” and Statutory Interpretation of the Land Registration Act 2002 Sch.6 para.5(4). The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 88(2), 203-217
• Bevan, C. (2024). Overriding Interests under the Land Registration Act 2002: Time to Repair the ‘Cracked Mirror’?. The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 2024(2), 123-139
• Bevan, C. (2024). Delivering a Culture Change in Property Guardianship: Recommendations for Reform to the Regulatory Landscape. Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law, 16(3), 237-254. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPPEL-02-2024-0007
• Bevan, C. (2024). A New Definition of ‘Treasure’ under the Treasure Act 1996: Watershed Reform or Missed Opportunity?. Modern Law Review, 87(2), 430 - 447. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.12860
• Bevan, C. (2023). Property Guardianship: re-visiting the lease/licence distinction and re-shaping the regulatory landscape of occupational rights in English Property Law. Law Quarterly Review, 139, 79-100
• Bevan, C. (2023). Adverse possession, relativity of title and a salutary lesson for appellants: White v Amirtharaja [2022] in the Court of Appeal. Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 87(1),
• Bevan, C. (2022). The law of fixtures and chattels: recalibration, rationalisation and reform. Legal Studies, 42(2), 358-375. https://doi.org/10.1017/lst.2021.56
• Bevan, C. (2022). The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017: Furthering not fracturing marginalisation of those experiencing homelessness. International Journal of Law in Context, 18(1), 41-54. https://doi.org/10.1017/s174455232200009x
• Bevan, C. (2021). Liberating Minerva’s Owl: The (ir)relevance of s2 LP(MP)A 1989 to Estoppel Claims. Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 85(4), 381-400
• Bevan, C. (2021). Feathers fly on troubled waters: Royal Parks Ltd v Bluebird Boats Ltd [2021] and the fixture/chattel distinction. Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 85(4), 401-410
• Bevan, C. (2021). Reconceptualising Homelessness Legislation in England. Modern Law Review, 84(5), 953-973. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.12634
• Bevan, C. (2021). Governing “The Homeless” in English Homelessness Legislation: Foucauldian Governmentality and the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. Housing, Theory and Society, 38(3), 259-278. https://doi.org/10.1080/14036096.2020.1738542
• Bevan, C. (2019). The search for common intention: the status of an executed, express declaration of trust post-Stack and Jones. Law Quarterly Review, 135, 660-681
• Bevan, C. (2019). Improving Housing Conditions in the Private and Social Rented Sectors: The Homes (Fit for Human Habitation) Act 2018 ‐ Fit for Habitation but Fit for Purpose?. Modern Law Review, 82(5), 897-921. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.12439
• Bevan, C. (2019). Opening Pandora's box?: recreation pure and simple: easements in the Supreme Court: Regency Villas Title Ltd v Diamond Resorts (Europe) Ltd. Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 83(1), 44-59
• Bevan, C. (2018). The Doctrine of Benefit and Burden: Reforming the Law of Covenants and the Numerus Clausus 'Problem'. Cambridge Law Journal, 77(1), 72-96. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0008197318000065
• Bevan, C., & Laurie, E. (2017). The Housing and Planning Act 2016: Rewarding the Aspiration of Homeownership?. Modern Law Review, 80(4), 661-684. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.12278
• Bevan, C., & Cowan, D. (2016). Uses of Macro Social Theory: A Social Housing Case Study. Modern Law Review, 79(1), 76-101. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.12167
• Bevan, C. (2016). Overriding and over-extended?: actual occupation: a call to orthodoxy
• Bevan, C. (2015). The Damages Dog and its Horrible Bite: Statutory Damages for Unlawful Eviction. The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 2015(5), 446-455
• Bevan, C. (2014). The Localism Act 2011: The Hollow Housing Law Revolution. Modern Law Review, 77(6), 964-982. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.12098
• Bevan, C. (2013). The Role of Intention in Non-marriage Cases post-Hudson v Leigh. Child and family law quarterly, 2013(1), 80-95
• Bevan, C. (2013). Disclosure of sexual abuse in private family proceedings: reconciling the irreconcilable? Re A: a casenote. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 35(3), https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2013.816096
• Bevan, C. (2013). Interpreting Statutory Purpose - Lessons fromYemshawvHounslow London Borough Council. Modern Law Review, 76(4), https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2230.12033
• Bevan, C. (2013). Self-represented litigants: the overlooked and unintended consequence of legal aid reform. Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 35(1), https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2013.774735
• Bevan, C. (2013). Living "together" apart: s.176 of the Housing Act 1996. The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, 2013(4), 334-344

Newspaper/Magazine Article

• Bevan, C. (2023). The rise and rise of property guardianship and what it says about our broken housing system. The Conversation