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18 1954

DEFENCE ACT, 1954

PART II.

The Council of Defence, the Chief of Staff, the Adjutant-General, the Quartermaster-General, Military Branches of the Department of Defence, the Inspector-General and the Judge Advocate-General.

The Council of Defence.

11. —(1) There shall stand established a body to be called the Council of Defence (in this section referred to as the Council) to aid and counsel the Minister on all matters in relation to the business of the Department of Defence on which the Minister may consult the Council.

(2) The Council shall consist of two civil members, namely, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence and the Secretary of the Department of Defence, and three military members, namely, the Chief of Staff, the Adjutant-General and the Quartermaster-General.

(3) The Secretary of the Department of Defence shall be secretary of the Council.

(4) The Council shall meet whenever summoned by the Minister.

The Chief of Staff, the Adjutant-General and the Quartermaster-General.

12. —(1) There shall be—

(a) a Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces,

(b) an Adjutant-General of the Defence Forces, and

(c) a Quartermaster-General of the Defence Forces.

(2) (a) In this subsection, the expression “principal military office” means any office being that of—

(i) the Chief of Staff, or

(ii) the Adjutant-General, or

(iii) the Quartermaster-General.

(b) An appointment to a principal military office shall be made by the President.

(c) Every person appointed to a principal military office shall be an officer of the Permanent Defence Force.

(d) Every holder of a principal military office shall hold that office for such term (not exceeding five years) as may be specified in the instrument of his appointment but shall be eligible for re-appointment on the expiration of that term.

(e) Where the holder of a principal military office ceases to be an officer of the Permanent Defence Force, he shall cease to hold that principal military office.

(f) The President may remove from office the holder of a principal military office.

Military branches of the Department of Defence.

13. —(1) There shall stand established in the Department of Defence three principal military branches, namely—

(a) the branch of the Chief of Staff, the head of which shall be the Chief of Staff,

(b) the branch of the Adjutant-General, the head of which shall be the Adjutant-General, and

(c) the branch of the Quartermaster-General, the head of which shall be the Quartermaster-General.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this Act, there shall be assigned to the Chief of Staff, the Adjutant-General and the Quartermaster-General respectively such duties in connection with the business of the Department of Defence as the Minister may from time to time appoint.

(3) Each of them, the Chief of Staff, the Adjutant-General and the Quartermaster-General, shall be directly responsible to the Minister for the performance of such duties as may from time to time be assigned to him under subsection (2) of this section.

(4) The Minister may delegate to the Chief of Staff the co-ordination of the business or of any of the business of the principal military branches of the Department of Defence.

The Inspector-General.

14. —(1) The Government may, whenever they think fit, by order under this subsection declare that there shall be an Inspector-General of the Defence Forces, and whenever any such order is made and is in force there shall be an Inspector-General of the Defence Forces.

(2) The Government may by order under this subsection revoke any order made under subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The Inspector-General of the Defence Forces shall be an officer of the Permanent Defence Force and shall be appointed by, and hold office during the pleasure of, the President.

(4) The Inspector-General of the Defence Forces shall be charged with the performance of such duties as the Government may from time to time assign to him.

The Judge Advocate-General.

15. —(1) There shall be a Judge Advocate-General.

(2) The Judge Advocate-General shall be a practising barrister-at-law of at least ten years' standing, but shall not be a member of the Defence Forces, and shall be appointed by, and hold office during the pleasure of, the President.

(3) The Judge Advocate-General shall be charged with the performance of such duties as the Government may from time to time assign to him.

(4) There shall be paid to the Judge Advocate-General such remuneration as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may fix.