2
While every effort has been made to ensure that the Bill is free from deficiencies, it is inevitable that it would be necessary to introduce refinements and improvements in the light of experience. It would not be possible to consolidate and up-date law which has existed for 143 years in one attempt without error or
ommission
The Registrar General has agreed to monitor and review the new legislation after it has been enacted
Sir, experience has shown that indeed there is scope for expansion, improvement and refinement. The Bill, which incorporates a number of useful proposals, will further improve
the law in this area.
le
Sever
The Ad Hoc Group formed to study the provisions of the Bill met times, and had extensive discussions with the Administration. As a result, a number of useful and practical amendments have been agreed. Both the Bill and the agreed
amendments are highly technical in nature. I shall therefore only highlight some of the more important provisions of the Bill and proposed amendments to it.
A Vendor is usually required to produce, in order to prove his title to the land being sold, the Crown Lease and all other relevant documents for a period of at least 25 years
before the contract for sale. Clause 5(a) of the Bill reduces
this period to 15 years because the longer period causes
practical problems. In England, the period is 12 years. Members of the Ad Hoc Group as well as practising conveyancers
therefore welcome this reduction.
STET
lo
In considering the reduced period of 15 years, my Group noted that for actions to recover land, the statutory
this limitation period is 20 years.
In practical terms, it means