Chief of Defence Staff Act 2009 · As enacted · Part I · Appointment of Chief of Defence Staff
3. Term of office &c., of the Chief of Defence Staff
Official English translation. The Sinhala text prevails. Open the official Sinhala text, official PDF on documents.gov.lk
Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged
The Chief of Defence Staff shall, subject to the pleasure of the President, hold office for a term of two years.
An officer serving as the Chief of Defence Staff shall be eligible to be reappointed in like manner for two more years :
Provided that such period of two years shall be granted by reappointments for one year at a time; provided, the total period of the term of office of the Chief of Defence Staff shall not in the aggregate exceed four years:
Provided further, that in a time of public emergency, the
President may reappoint the officer serving as the Chief of
Defence Stafffor any number of such terms of office.
The Chief of Defence Staff may, by letter addressed to the President in that behalf tender his resignation from the office of Chief of Defence Staff, at any time before the expiry of his term of office.
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3), a
Chief of Defence Staff who tenders his resignation, shall not be relieved of the duties of his appointment, until the acceptance of such resignation by the President is notified to him in writing.
In the event of death, retirement, resignation or disability or removal from office of the Chief of Defence
Staff before the expiry of his term of office, the President shall, having regard to the provisions of this section, appoint another officer in his place.
The officer so appointed under subsection (5) shall hold office for the unexpired period of the term of office of the particular Chief of Defence Staff whom he succeeds.
Where a vacancy occurs in the office of Chief of
Defence Staff, due to death, retirement, resignation, disability or removal, the President may nominate from among the members of the Committee of the Chief of Defence Staff, a member to temporarily perform the duties and functions of the office of the Chief of Defence Staff in addition to his duties as Commander of the Army, Commander of the Navy or Commander of the Air Force as the case may be, until a successor is appointed or, in the case of absence or temporary disability of the Chief of Defence Staff, until he returns to office or the disability ceases.
A member of the Chief of Defence Staff Committee who is so nominated under the provisions of subsection (7)
shall perform the duties and functions of the office of Chief of Defence Staff until a successor is appointed or until the return to office of the Chief of Defence Staff as the case may be.
Part II
Committee of the Chief of Defence Staff
Part III
Staff
Part IV