Today, 25th September 2019, HM Land Registry have announced Simon Hayes as their new Chief Executive.
Simon was appointed by the Business Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Lord Duncan, who said:
“I am delighted to announce Simon Hayes as the new Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar of HM Land Registry. Simon brings with him a wealth of experience from his previous roles in the Home Office and will ensure the organisation continues its transformation into a world leading land registry, delivering a first rate, digital service to its customers.
“I would also like to thank Mike Harlow for all of his work as Acting Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar since January.”
Simon Hayes said:
“I am delighted to be appointed to this role at such an exciting and important time for HM Land Registry. I look forward to working with everyone within the organisation as we continue our transformation journey, delivering outstanding service to our customers, and benefits for all our partners.”
Simon will take up leadership of HM Land Registry in November 2019. He is currently Director of Visas & Citizenship, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and will bring considerable experience from this role and his previous roles in the Home Office – including positions in the criminal justice and immigration policy – to lead HM Land Registry in delivering its business strategy and become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.
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Until Covid Her Majesy’s Courts Service demanded payments in the form of cheques. Covid regulations compelled the service to join the world of commerce in accepting payments by bank transfer. There is no intention, as far as I am aware, to return to return to demanding payments by cheque.
The ‘negotiable cow’ was the creation of A P Herbert. He described his first class degree in Jurisprudence at Oxford as ‘a very good first’.
The negotiable cow was brought to our screens by the BBC in the series ‘Misleading Cases’. A farmer asked his bank manager to define a cheque. In response to the farmer’s question ‘could a cheque be written on leather?’ . The bank manager, perhaps mindful of the Magna Carta and acts of Parliament etched on vellum replied positively.
The next day the farmer returned with a cow. The details of the cheque were inscribed on one side of the cow.
Despite its passion for paperless, the Land Registry still requires cheques. By doing so it disadvantages modern, dynamic fintech companies such as Wise who do not issue cheques.
Perhaps conveyancers could organise a herd of cheques to be delivered to the Land Registry in the style of the ancient television series ‘Rawhide’ starring Clint Eastwood ‘Rawhide’ ,