The Social Right to Property: Social Function and Human Rights

In this innovative book, Koldo Casla proposes that property should be reinterpreted as a social right, arguing from the perspective of human rights and the social function that ownership must serve not only private interests but also the interests of the community.

Positing that property ought to be democratically defined in accordance with its social function, Casla articulates a proposal for a new social right to property and evaluates the implications in relation to adequate housing and the private provision of public services, including transport and energy. Global case studies from Africa, Europe and Latin America demonstrate the underlying tension between an exclusivist and extractive idea of private property and the state’s mandate to respect, protect and fulfil social rights.

Presenting a unique method of inquiry, The Social Right to Property is of great interest to scholars, students and practitioners of international human rights law, comparative law and property theory. Its critical analysis also makes it a valuable resource for those interested in property ownership and social rights.