As enacted

Contents

Act of Parliament · As enacted

Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Act 2026

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

Official translationFrom Department of Government Printing, unchanged

s 1Short title

This Act may be cited as the Chief of Defence Staff

(Repeal) Act, No. 22 of 2026.

s 2Repeal of Act, No. 35 of 2009

The Chief of Defence Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009 is hereby repealed.

s 3Transitional provisions

(1)

Every person holding office on the day immediately preceding the date of commencement of this Act as-

(a)

the Chief of Defence Staff; and

(b)

a member of the Committee of the Chief of Defence Staff, shall cease to hold such office, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act.

(2)

Notwithstanding the repeal of the Chief of Defence

Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009 (hereinafter referred to as the

“repealed Act”)-

(a)

every officer or employee serving in the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff on the day immediately preceding the date of commencement of this Act and -

(i)

who are members of the armed forces, shall, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act, be assigned to their service in the respective armed forces;

(ii)

who are members of the police force, shall, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act, be assigned to their service in the Sri Lanka Police;

(iii)

who are members of the civil security force, shall, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act, be assigned to their service in the Department of Civil

Security; and

(iv)

who are civilian personnel deployed from among persons in the public service shall, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act, be assigned to their respective positions in the public service;

(b)

all property, movable and immovable, documents and records and all assets and liabilities of the

Office of the Chief of Defence Staff established under the repealed Act and existing on the day immediately preceding the date of commencement of this Act shall, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act, stand transferred to the Ministry of the Minister assigned the subject of Defence;

(c)

all suits, actions or legal proceedings instituted under the repealed Act and pending on the day immediately preceding the date of commencement of this Act shall, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act, be heard and concluded as if there had been no such repeal;

(d)

all contracts and agreements entered into by the

Office of the Chief of Defence staff and subsisting on the day immediately preceding the date of commencement of this Act shall, with effect from the date of commencement of this Act, be deemed to be contracts and agreements entered into by the

Ministry of the Minister assigned the subject of

Defence; and

(e)

every regulation or rule made under the repealed

Act and in force on the day immediately preceding the date of commencement of this Act shall, with effect from the date of commencement of this

Act, be deemed to be rescinded.

s 4Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

“armed forces” means the Army, Navy and Air Force raised and maintained under the Army Act

(Chapter 357), Navy Act (Chapter 358) and the

Air Force Act (Chapter 359), respectively.

s 5Sinhala text to prevail in case of inconsistency

In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail.