Universities (Amendment) Act 2026 · As enacted
3. Amendment of section 51 of the principal enactment
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
Section 51 of the principal enactment is hereby amended as follows: -
by the repeal of subsection (1) of that section and the substitution therefor, of the following subsection: -
“(1) (a) The Head of a Department of Study shall be a Senior Professor appointed by the
Council upon the recommendation of the
Vice-Chancellor.
In the absence of a Senior Professor a
Professor, an Associate Professor, a Senior
Lecturer (Grade I) or a Senior Lecturer
(Grade II) shall be appointed by the Council in that order, as the Head of a Department of Study, on the recommendation of the
Vice-Chancellor.
Prior to make any such appointment referred to in paragraph (a) or (b), the consent of the selected individual with respect to such appointment, shall be obtained.”;
by the insertion immediately after subsection (1), of the following new subsection: -
“(1A) (a) For the purpose of subsection (1), any Senior Professor, Professor, Associate
Professor, or any Senior Lecturer (Grade I) or any Senior Lecturer (Grade II), who has been confirmed in the relevant post, shall be eligible to be appointed as the Head of a Department of Study.
In the absence of a Senior Professor
Professor, Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer
Universities (Amendment)
(Grade I) or a Senior Lecturer (Grade II) for the purpose of subsection (1), who is eligible to be appointed as the Head of a Department of
Study, a Senior Professor, Professor, Associate
Professor or a Senior Lecturer (Grade I) in a related discipline of another Department of
Study of the same Faculty, determined by the
Senate, shall be appointed in such capacity and in such an event, the Vice-Chancellor shall provide an explanation to the Council for such appointment.”;
in subsection (2) of that section, by the substitution for the words “unless removed from office,”, of the words “unless removed from office by the
Council in accordance with the due procedure, as may be specified by the Commission,”;
in subsection (3) of that section, by the substitution for the words “the Vice-Chancellor shall appoint another Professor, Associate Professor, Senior
Lecturer or Lecturer”, of the words “the Council shall appoint, on the recommendation of the
Vice-Chancellor, another
Senior
Professor,
Professor, Associate Professor or a Senior Lecturer
(Grade I),”; and
by the addition immediately after subsection (3)
of that section, of the following new subsection: -
“(4) No person shall be appointed as the
Head of the same Department of Study for more than one term:
Provided that, where all eligible persons in a Department of Study have completed their terms as the Head of that Department of Study in accordance with the preceding provisions and no other eligible persons are available for such appointment, a person who has previously held the post of the Head of that Department of
Study may, with the consent of such person, be re-appointed to the post of the Head of that
Department of Study. Such re-appointment shall be made in accordance with the procedure set out in subsection (1A):
Provided further, no person shall hold the post of the Head of a Department of Study for more than two consecutive terms.”.