Land tenure in the Bahamas : progressing towards the year 2000
Ferguson, Thomas F.
With abstract in English.
The land tenure system in the Bahamas is antiquated and has not evolved concurrently with the global trends. The origin of Bahamian land tenure is deeply embedded in the English Common Law system, which was imported during the colonial era. Economic prosperity, proximity to the USA and the natural beauty of the Islands are some factors, which have made an indelible mark on Bahamian land tenure. Two systems of land tenure prevail in the Bahamas, namely private conveyancing and registration of deeds. These systems of tenure are not absolutely secure, hence, squatters may gain prescriptive rights to the exclusion of the freehold fee simple title holder. The best system of land tenure for the Bahamas is a registration of title system. It is apparant that the law of economics, internal and external pressure, and the need for information will speed up the establishment of compulsory land registration and eventually a multi-purpose cadastre. It is percieved that by the year 2000, reforms in land law and the Bahamas National Geographic Information System Project will be in effect. The complete implementation of registration of titles will follow closely.
Event: FIG XXIst International Congress of Surveyors : Developing the Profession in a Developing World
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