Land & Property Services (formerly Land Register Northern Ireland) is holding a public consultation exercise on proposed changes to legislation governing land registration. The agency is inviting views from anyone with an interest in conveyancing or land law to ensure that any changes to the law are robust.

The proposed changes: from paper registration to electronic registration

The current legislation governing land registration states that all land must be registered using paper deeds. To modernise this paper based system, an e-registration project was established by Land Registers Northern Ireland (now Land & Property Services). The objective of this project is to give customers the option of registering land and property online.

The project has three phases.

Phase One: Document Creation and Online Submission

Phase Two: Electronic Signatures and Payments

Phase Three: Paperless Registration

Only once we have progressed through each phase and the appropriate legislation is enacted, can we truly say we have e-registration. However, to deliver phases two and three of the project, a change in the law is required. It is proposed to amend the current provisions by way of an Order under the Electronic Communications Act (NI) 2001 (“the 2001 Act”).

The benefits of electronic registration

If the e-registration facility is fully realised, there is potential to:

·    Achieve a reduction in the cost of processing applications

·    Improve the quality of submitted documentation

·    Achieve faster registration

·    Reduce storage costs for customers who opt to obtain electronic documents.

How to share your views

Download the full consultation document from http://www.lawsoc-ni.org/ or www.lpsni.gov.uk

The consultation exercise runs for 12 weeks, starting on 10 August 2009.

Contributions should be submitted no later than 12 noon on 30th October 2009.

Download Electronic Registration Consultation Paper