The same considerations apply in the case of land. The registration of customary land is faced by a number of challenges and difficulties. The purpose of registration is to act as a mirror of the land, reflecting the interests over the land, the physical area, and the title to it. If the register is to be relied on then it must be accurate in all is details. In most cases this requires not only writing down or recording names and details but surveying land, establishing boundaries and guaranteeing that the details entered are correct.
Surveying is highly expensive and can operate as an obstacle to registration.
Registration formalises title so that this no longer becomes just a matter of birth, name or residence, but a question of law. Registration does not have to be the final determinant it could just be a starting point but in most systems registration of title is held to be indefeasible, unless there is fraud. This is considerably earlier than in England, where registration did not really start to occur until 1925 although the first Land Registry Act was in 1862. Registration in England was not made compulsory until 1986. In Australia, by contrast, the Torrens system of land registration named after Sir Robert Torrens was introduced in 1858.