Organisation and Management : Management Structure; Branch Functions

Organisation and Management

Management Structure

Under the Land Registrar, the department is organised into four operational branches, namely the Deeds Registration and Departmental Services Branch headed by the Registry Manager, the Legal Services Branch headed by the Deputy Principal Solicitor, the Title Registration Development Branch headed by the Title Registration Development Manager and the Financial Services Branch headed by the Business Manager. The Land Registration Officers form the backbone of the Land Registry overseeing various operational functions. A workforce comprising largely general grades staff provides general support. A group of legal officers provides advice on legal matters and a team of IT staff is responsible for the operation of the Integrated Registration Information System (IRIS), as well as the development and implementation of computer systems to support the Land Registry’s new projects.

Branch Functions

Deeds Registration and Departmental Services Branch

To provide services for the registration of documents affecting land in Hong Kong.
To provide search services for documents affecting land, reports-on-title to Government departments and to handle applications for registration of owners’ corporations.
To provide customer services as well as to anticipate and respond to their needs, to manage and develop the Land Registration Officer Grade, and to plan for the development of human resources through comprehensive training programmes to meet the business needs of the Land Registry.
To plan and implement new management initiatives for improvement of service quality of the Land Registry, including Knowledge Management System, e-Memorial Form for lodgement and cleaning up of land registers for provision of complete and accurate land records to searchers.
To plan, manage and review human resources, office accommodation and administrative systems and provide general support services to the Land Registry.

Legal Services Branch

To provide legal advisory and support services on departmental functions and to undertake legal work relating to the deeds registration system and the registration of owners’ corporations under the Building Management Ordinance (Cap. 344).
To provide legal advisory and support services in the preparation for implementation of the Land Titles Ordinance (Cap. 585) (LTO), conduct LTO review, prepare regulations, statutory forms and to provide professional guidance to practitioners.

Title Registration Development Branch

To provide administrative support to the implementation of the title registration system and secretarial support to major consultative committees concerning the LTO and the title registration system.
To develop operational practices and design new registration processes for the title registration system, to provide operational support to the implementation of publicity and education programmes and to develop suitable computer systems for the title registration system.
To manage and oversee the daily operation and on-going enhancement of the Integrated Registration Information System, to implement a new search system, to develop suitable computer systems to support the title registration system and to provide IT support for various services in the Land Registry.

Financial Services Branch

To prepare and control budgets, manage financial accounts, evaluate costing, fees and charges, review accounting procedures and financial systems and to manage departmental supplies and stores.

When the legislation to implement title registration is settled, the organisation and staffing structure will be reviewed to provide support to the new system of title registration.