Isn't English law fascinating?

It's fascinating to see that such principles as 'Squatter's Rights' still have validity. From the Telegraph:

Breaking into the exclusive Highgate property market in north London is notoriously difficult. But yesterday a homeless man apparently did the almost-impossible, managing to secure his very own slice of prime real estate on Hampstead Heath for free.
Harry Hallowes, 70, says he has been given the title deeds to a piece of land on the edge of the heath on which he has been squatting for more than two decades. The 65ft by 131ft plot has been estimated to be worth up to £2 million.
The Land Registry's decision marks the end of a three-year dispute between Mr Hallowes and the property developer Dwyer.
The developers originally wanted to build on the land, which forms part of the grounds of Althone House. In 2005 Dwyer, which is turning a plot of land including a former nursing home into 25 luxury flats, failed in an attempt to evict Mr Hallowes.
At a court hearing over the eviction, lawyers presented evidence that Mr Hallowes had lived on the plot for 18 years. This later became the basis for his title claim for the land. Possession of the title deeds means the plot could now be sold or passed on.
(snip)
Mr Hallowes first started sleeping rough on the piece of heath land in 1987 after he was evicted from his council flat in Highgate. He now lives in a 12ft by 8ft shack on the property .
Because he has lived there longer than the 12 years required by law, he was able to claim squatter's rights.

Interesting Legal Question...

From the Times:

A Roman Catholic teenager has brought a landmark legal action against a council for sending her to live with Protestant foster parents.
The young woman, identified only as “AR”, is seeking damages of £70,000 from Highland council for housing her with two sets of Protestant foster parents after she was taken into care aged 8.
Now 18, she has been granted legal aid to mount a case against the council and was yesterday given the go-ahead for it to be heard in the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scot-land’s supreme civil court.
In a written ruling after a brief hearing last Friday, Judge Lord Uist appeared to admit yesterday that the case was unprecedented, saying that it involved “novel and difficult questions of law”.
(snip)
Legal papers were served on Highland council this year, while documents lodged before the court yesterday said only that the council had failed to accommodate the girl’s religious needs.
According to the papers, the council failed to ensure that she could follow “her religious persuasion throughout the period she was looked after and accommodated”.