HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ACT 1981 No. 24 of 1981 - SECT 19 Acting Deputy Chairman

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ACT 1981 No. 24 of 1981 - SECT 19

19. (1) The Minister may appoint a person to act as Deputy Chairman -

   (a)  during a vacancy in the office of Deputy Chairman, whether or not an
        appointment has previously been made to the office; or

   (b)  during any period, or during all periods, when the Deputy Chairman is
        absent from duty or from Australia or is, for any reason, unable to
        perform the functions of his office, but a person appointed to act
        during a vacancy shall not continue so to act for more than 12 months.

(2) The Minister may -

   (a)  determine the terms and conditions of appointment, including
        remuneration and allowances, of a person acting as Deputy Chairman;
        and

   (b)  at any time terminate such an appointment.

(3) Where a person is acting as Deputy Chairman in accordance with paragraph
(1) (b) and the office of Deputy Chairman becomes vacant while that person is
so acting, that person may continue so to act until the Minister otherwise
directs, the vacancy is filled or a period of 12 months from the date on which
the vacancy occurred expires, whichever first happens.

(4) The appointment of a person to act as Deputy Chairman ceases to have
effect if he resigns the appointment by writing signed by him and delivered to
the Minister.

(5) Subject to sub-section 7 (6), while a person is acting as Deputy Chairman,
he has, and may exercise, all the powers and shall perform all the functions
of the Deputy Chairman.

(6) At any time when a person who is not a member of the Commission is acting
as Deputy Chairman, he shall be deemed to be a member of the Commission
for the purposes of the definition of "prescribed person" in sub-section 3 (1)
and for the purposes of sub-sections 15 (1), 28 (3) and (6), 32 (1) and 33
(1).

(7) The validity of anything done by a person purporting to act under
sub-section (1) shall not be called in question on the ground that the
occasion for his appointment had not arisen, that there is a defect or
irregularity in or in connection with his appointment, that the appointment
had ceased to have effect or that the occasion for him to act had not arisen
or had passed.