Public consultation has opened on the proposed changes to legislation governing land registration, by the Land & Property Services, formerly Land Register Northern Ireland.

The agency has inviting views from anyone with an interest in conveyancing or land law to ensure that changes relating to electronic submissions are "robust".

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.

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Public consultation has been opened to give customers the option of registering land and property online.

The project has three phases Document Creation and Online Submission; Electronic Signatures and Payments; and Paperless Registration.

"Only once we have progressed through each phase and the appropriate legislation is enacted, can we truly say we have e-registration," a spokesperson for the service said.

"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."

According to the department, 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; and reduce storage costs for customers who opt to obtain electronic documents.

(PR/GK)