The Chief Secretary of Ceylon, was the Chairman and one of three officers of state of the
Board of Ministers of the
State Council of Ceylon from 1932 to 1947. The post succeeded that of ''Colonial Secretary'' which was one of six offices that held a seat in the
Executive Council of Ceylon until 1932.
The established under in 1932 by the Order in Council, following the recommendations of the
Donoughmore Commission, vested the subjects of External Affairs, Defence and the Public Services of the Crown Colony of Ceylon under the Chief Secretary, who served as the
Officer Administering the Government
An administrator (administrator of the government or officer administering the government) in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a governor or a governor-general.
...
in the abases of the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
. As such Chief Secretary was third in the order of precedence after the Governor of Ceylon and the Chief Justice.
The Chief Secretary was assisted by a Deputy Chief Secretary and two Assistant Chief Secretaries. Appointments were made from senior officers of the
Colonial Service
The Colonial Service, also known as His/Her Majesty's Colonial Service and replaced in 1954 by Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS), was the British government service that administered most of Britain's overseas possessions, under the aut ...
. The post ceased to exist in 1947 with the formation of the
Dominion of Ceylon
Between 1948 and 1972, Ceylon The Sri Lanka Independence Act 1947 uses the name "Ceylon" for the new dominion; nowhere does that Act use the term "Dominion of Ceylon", which although sometimes used was not the official name. was an independent ...
. Chief Secretary's office was located in the
Secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse who is the ninth winner of the Ame ...
and the
Temple Trees
Temple Trees is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. It is located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Several recent Presidents have used it as their official residence as well.
History Private residence
The history of ''Temple Trees' ...
was the official residence of the Chief Secretary. The post was replaced by the post of
Prime Minister of Ceylon
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the head and most senior member of parliament in the cabinet of ministers. It is the second-most powerful position in Sri Lanka's executive branch behind the president, w ...
in 1947 under the recommendations of the
Soulbury Commission
The Soulbury Commission ( si, සෝල්බරි කොමිෂන් සභාව ''Solbari Komishan Sabhawa''; ta, சோல்பரி ஆணைக்குழு), announced in 1944 was, like its predecessor, the Donoughmore Commission, a ...
under the Ceylon Independence Act, 1947 and The Ceylon (Constitution and Independence) Orders in Council 1947.
Departments
Departments under the Chief Secretary's office:
* Secretariat
*
Ceylon Civil Service
* Ceylon Clerical Service
*
Ceylon Defence Force
The Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) was established in 1910 by the Ceylonese legislation ''Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance'', which reformed the Ceylon Volunteer Force (CVF) that existed previously as the military reserve in the British Crown colony ...
*
Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force
*
Coasts Lights
* Censor's Department
* Information Officer's Department
List of Secretaries
Data based on:
*
John Ferguson, Ceylon in the "jubilee Year"., J. Haddon and Co.,1887
* Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries and Resources, Plâté limited, 1924
See also
*
Chief secretary (British Empire)
*
Governors of British Ceylon
The governor of Ceylon was the representative in Ceylon of the British Crown from 1795 to 1948. In this capacity, the governor was president of the Executive Council and Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in Ceylon. The governor was the ...
*
General Officer Commanding, Ceylon
*
Attorney General of Sri Lanka
The Attorney General of Sri Lanka is the Sri Lankan government's chief legal adviser, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. The Attorney General is usually a highly respected Senior Advocate, and is appointed by the ruling ...
*
Auditor General of Sri Lanka
The Auditor General of Sri Lanka ( Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා විගණකාධිපති ''Śrī Laṃkā viganakādhipathi''; Tamil: இலங்கை கணக்காய்வாளர் தலைமை) is appointed by th ...
*
Treasurer of Ceylon
The Financial Secretary of Ceylon was an officer of the Ceylonese Government and member of the Board of Ministers. The Treasurer of Ceylon was one of six offices that held a seat in the Executive Council of Ceylon from 1809 to 1932. The post wa ...
*
Legal Secretary of Ceylon
The Legal Secretary of Ceylon, was an officer of state of the British Colonial Administration of Ceylon from 1931 to 1947, appointed from the Colonial Legal Service. The Legal Secretary one of three officers of state of the Board of Ministers o ...
*
Financial Secretary of Ceylon
The Financial Secretary of Ceylon was an officer of the Ceylonese Government and member of the Board of Ministers. The Treasurer of Ceylon was one of six offices that held a seat in the Executive Council of Ceylon from 1809 to 1932. The post wa ...
References
*
Defunct government positions in Sri Lanka
{{SriLanka-hist-stub