State Lands Act 2001 (No. 13 of 2001).

The State is the owner of land in the Republic, and some of these lands should be made available for development including permanent settlement of citizens and their families, who otherwise have no or limited access to land. The objectives of this Act are on the one hand to provide a framework for the tenure and alienation of such land and on the other hand to provide for the planning and sustainable development of such land in accordance with certain principles. There shall be a land registry for each island to which this Act shall apply and in such office shall be kept a land register (sect. 4). Section 5 declares Statutory and registered (private) interests in land to be indefeasible, i.e. they shall be enjoyable and be held free from all other interests that are not registered except in the case of actual fraud. The Minister, acting in accordance with the advice of Cabinet may, by order in writing, declare that an island or a defined part of an island is to be made available for disposition under this Act. Sections 7 to 9 set out procedures of alienation. There shall be a Strategic Plan for this land, i.e. directions as to the use of the land. The land shall again revert to the State in case of unauthorized alienation or abandonment (sects. 10 and 11). A plot may be transferred in writing from registered owners to a transferee but only with the consent of the State under section 10(3) (sect. 17). Land to which this Act is made applicable shall not be considered to be native lands under the Native Lands Ordinance, cap 61 (sect. 19). (19 sections completed by 2 Schedules)