7The registry of deedsN.I.
Subs.(1) rep. by 1992 NI 7
(2 )F1The staff of the registry of deeds shall—
(a)consist of a registrar,[F2 such assistant registrars] and such other officers and persons as in the opinion of the Ministry of Finance (in this Act referred to as “the Ministry” ) are required for the service of the registry;
(b)be appointed by the Ministry;
and their tenure, remuneration and superannuation rights shall, subject to section 8(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1947 [1947 c.37] passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, be such as the Ministry determines.
(3)The direction, management and superintendence of the registry of deeds shall be the duty of the registrar of deeds.
[F2(4)Each assistant registrar and other officer and person appointed under subsection (2) shall exercise, in accordance with this Act or any other statutory provision (including regulations under section 19), such of the functions of the registrar as may be assigned to him by the registrar, and shall be responsible to the registrar for the exercise of the functions so assigned.
(5)An assistant registrar nominated by the registrar may, in accordance with any general or specific directions given by the registrar and notwithstanding any vacancy subsequently occurring in the office of registrar, act as registrar and exercise all or any of the functions of the registrar.
(5A)Where the registrar is absent from the registry of deeds or the office of registrar is vacant and no person is acting as registrar under subsection (5) in accordance with a direction that he exercise all the functions of the registrar, the assistant registrar or, if there are more assistant registrars than one, the senior assistant registrar present may act as registrar and exercise all the functions of the registrar.
(5B)All acts done by an assistant registrar under subsection (5) or (5A) shall, without proof of, respectively, the directions or circumstances, have the same effect in all respects as if they had been done by the registrar.]
(6)The registry of deeds shall be kept open for the transaction of business during such hours or other periods of time as the Ministry may by order made subject to negative resolution provide.