英國《2002年土地登記法》述評

A Review and Comment on the British Land Registration Act 2002

英國土地法是一個充斥著古老概念的體系，土地交易方面的規則十分複雜。傳統的普通法規則需要購買人自己調查產權，並追溯至“產權之根”。該傳統規則對於土地交易而言，交易成本高，交易也不安全。因而，英國法一直存在著強大的財產法改革的呼聲，土地登記法就是這個改革體系中的一部重要法律，承擔著改革財產法、簡化土地交易的重任。土地登記法通過推廣強制登記、減少法定地產權的類型、增加可登記權益的範圍、減少優先權益的類型、規定電子登記制度等方式來實現簡化土地交易的目標。

British Land Law is a legal system full of ancient concepts. The rules concerning land transaction are extremely complicated. The traditional civil law rules require the buyer to investigate the property right dated back to “the root of title”. Land transaction in accordance with this rule costs too much and is unsafe. In view of this, there have always been urges to reform property law. Land Registration Act is one of the important fruits resulting from the systematical reform. It is gradually simplifying land transaction in way of applying compulsory registration, reducing the types of legal estates, extending the scope of registrable rights and interests, reducing overriding rights, and setting up digital registration system, etc.