REGISTRATION OF DEEDS BILL

11.34 am

Order for Second Reading read.

The Second Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Sir, I would describe this as a rather technical Bill which introduces changes so as to keep pace with advances in the building development and financial sectors. The mode of registration of deeds is being simplified to expedite registration of such deeds.

For the better protection of purchasers and mortgagees of units in large developments under construction, the life of a caveat will be five years in place of the existing six-month period.

The Bill allows the certification of deeds which were executed abroad in countries where there is no notary public.

Another amendment introduced is that leases of land or flats not exceeding seven years or assignments of such leases, where accompanied by actual possession from the date of the lease or assignment, need not be registered under the Act.

Where parts of lands have become vested in Government for public purposes, the Bill now empowers the Registrar of Deeds to finalize registration of deeds of parts of lands affected which would be useful to the owners of lands affected without having to wait for completion of survey.

The Bill also provides that printouts of information stored in a computer maintained by the Registrar of Deeds will be receivable in evidence in a court of law.

Sir, finally, I would like to say that, in the drafting of this Bill, the representatives of the Law Society were consulted and their views taken into account.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Prof. Jayakumar.]

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.