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.[1][2]
| Chief Secretary of Ceylon | |
|---|---|
| Member of | the Executive Council |
| Residence | Temple Trees |
| Seat | The Secretariat |
| Appointer | Governor of British Ceylon |
| Precursor | Colonial Secretary of Ceylon |
| Formation | 12 October 1798 |
| First holder | Hugh Cleghorn |
| Final holder | Robert Drayton |
| Abolished | 1946 |
| Succession | Prime Minister of Ceylon |
| Deputy | Deputy Chief Secretary |
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 in the abases of the governor.[3] As such, the chief secretary was third in the order of precedence after the governor of Ceylon and the chief justice.[1][2]
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 post ceased to exist in 1947 with the formation of the Dominion of Ceylon. the chief secretary's office was located in the Secretariat and the Temple Trees was the official residence of the chief secretary. The post was replaced by the post of prime minister in 1947 under the recommendations of the Soulbury Commission under the Ceylon Independence Act, 1947 and The Ceylon (Constitution and Independence) Orders in Council 1947.[4][5]
Departments under the chief secretary's office:
- Secretariat
- Ceylon Civil Service
- Ceylon Clerical Service
- Ceylon Defence Force
- Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force
- Coasts Lights
- Censor's Department
- Information Officer's Department
Data based on:
- John Ferguson, Ceylon in the "jubilee Year"., J. Haddon and Co.,1887[6]
- Ceylon: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries and Resources, Plâté limited, 1924[7]
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