9. Amendment of section 39 of the principal enactment

Official English translation. Where it differs from the Sinhala or Tamil text, the Act itself says which text prevails.

Section 39 of the principal enactment is hereby amended—

(1)

by the repeal of subsection (1) thereof and the substitution therefor of the following:—

“(1) The Commissioner-General shall appoint for every administrative district or for one or more administrative districts one or more

Agrarian Tribunals consisting of one person appointed from among retired judges who have had more than seven years experience, or retired public officers who have had seven years expenrience at executive level in the field of agrarian services.”;

(2)

in subsection (2) thereof by the substitution for the words “Where a member of an Agrarian Tribunal”

of the words “Where the person appointed to the

Agrarian Tribunal”;

(3)

by the repeal of subsection (3) thereof and the substitution therefor of the following:—

“(3) Every person appointed to the Agrarian

Tribunal shall, unless he earlier vacates office, hold office for a period of three years:

Provided that—

(a)

a person appointed in place of a person who has died, resigned or been removed from office, shall hold office for the unexpired period of the term of office of the person whom he succeeds; and

(b)

a person appointed in place of a person who is absent from Sri Lanka or is ill, shall hold office for the period of absence or illness of such person. ”;

(4)

by the repeal of subsection (4) thereof and the substitution therefor of the following:—

“(4) A person vacating office by effluxion of time shall be eligible for re-appointment.”

(5)

by the repeal of subsection (5) thereof; and

(6)

by the repeal of subsection (9) thereof and the substitution therefor of the following:—

“(9) An Agrarian Tribunal shall inquire into and conclude all applications and complaints referred to it under this Act within a period of six months from the date of receipt of such application or complaint and shall inform the parties thereto and the Commissioner-General by registerd post of its decision thereon.”.

Read on from s 10