The Abuse of Ownership: A Social Justice Perspective

Abstract Given that property rights are politically sensitive, and that the right of ownership is the most extensive property right, this article undertakes a political analysis of the so-called abuse of ownership doctrine as a private law limitation to the right of ownership. The notion of the abuse of rights as is defined and described by the Serbian academic, Professor Vodinelić, is explained, and examined with respect to how it fits into four different social justice theories. This analysis shows that the doctrine of abuse of rights would change in structure, and in the way it is applied, depending on the underlying value system which is adopted in a society.