
S1E4 - Surf's Up: Roman Law and Beach Houses
Published: August 21, 2025
Duration: 26:07
Richard Epstein explains why policy around laws governing coastal property rights and construction is grounded in ancient Roman natural law. In addition, he argues for coordinated, state-facilitated seawalls that preserve views and access and, where necessary, for using condemnation (and compensation) rather than forbidding owners to protect already-developed properties under a sweeping public-trust theory.