The office of the Chief of Defence Staff has ceased to exist following the enactment of the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Act, No. 22 of 2026.
Speaker of House Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne endorsed the certificate on the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Bill on September 22, bringing the legislation into force.
The Bill, which repeals the Chief of Defence Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009, was presented to Parliament for its First Reading on August 4, 2026. The Second Reading debate was held on September 9, after which the Bill was passed without a division.
The 2009 Act established the office of the Chief of Defence Staff, with functions including the coordination of activities between the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence.
With the repeal of the 2009 Act, the office of the Chief of Defence Staff has now ceased to exist.
The new Act also provides for all movable and immovable property belonging to the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff to be transferred to the Ministry of Defence.
The legislation is now in force as the Chief of Defence Staff (Repeal) Act, No. 22 of 2026, according to a statement by the Department of Communication of Parliament.
