(PR07/11) 07/06/2011
Land Registry publishes the report of its consultation on Land Registration and the Legal Services Act 2007
Land Registry has published the report of its consultation on proposed changes to land registration legislation to take account of changes made by the Legal Services Act 2007. The implementation of Part 5 of the Legal Services Act 2007, expected in October 2011, affects the regulation of legal service providers and introduces Alternative Business Structures.
The changes are being made to two sets of land registration rules (The Land Registration Rules 2003 and The Land Registration (Network Access) Rules 2008) and one land registration order (The Land Registration (Proper Office) Order 2010). They are needed in order to amend the definitions of ‘conveyancer’ and the persons entitled to make electronic applications to Land Registry so as to be consistent with the providers who, under the Act, are authorised to prepare conveyancing documents and make applications for land registration purposes.
The majority of the respondents, including legal and conveyancing industry representatives, expressed general approval of the proposals. A minority objected to the exclusion of Fellows of the Institute of Legal Executives from the definition of conveyancer.
The new Alternative Business Structureswill enable lawyers and non-lawyers to work together to deliver legal and other services and are expected to give legal providers greater flexibility to respond to market demands, within the UK and overseas.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- The Land Registration (Amendment) Rules 2011 and The Land Registration (Proper Office) (Amendment) Order 2011 were laid before Parliament on 6 June 2011. The Land Registration (Network Access) (Amendment) Rules 2011 were laid today, Tuesday 7 June 2011.
- The consultation report is available at www.landregistry.gov.uk/public/consultations. The consultation ran from 6 December 2010 to 28 February 2011.
- The consultation paper sought views on the proposed changes to the Land Registration Rules 2003, the Land Registration (Network Access) Rules 2008 and the Land Registration (Proper Office) Order 2010.
- As a government department established in 1862, executive agency and trading fund responsible to the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Land Registry keeps and maintains the Land Register for England and Wales. The Land Register has been an open document since 1990.
- For further information about Land Registry visit www.landregistry.gov.uk
- The introduction of the Legal Services Act 2007 and the proposed introduction of Alternative Business Structures led Land Registry to review the existing legislation and identify changes to reflect the new regime.
- With the largest transactional database of its kind detailing over 22 million titles, Land Registry underpins the economy by safeguarding ownership of many billions of pounds worth of property.
Contacts
Marion Shelley 0300 0067543, 07790 690297
