The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has decided by a majority that deprivation of ownership of land without compensation through the operation of adverse possession was not in breach of a landowner’s rights under article one of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Convention states: “Every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. No one shall be deprived of his possessions except in the public interest and subject to the conditions provided for by law and by the general principles of international law.
