Commonwealth Numbered Acts

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ACT 1981 No. 24 of 1981 - SECT 18

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

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

   (b)  during any period, or during all periods, when the 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 Chairman; and

   (b)  at any time terminate such an appointment.

(3) Where a person is acting as Chairman in accordance with paragraph (1) (b)
and the office of 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 Chairman ceases to have effect if he
resigns the appointment by writing signed by him and delivered to the
Minister.

(5) While a person is acting as Chairman, he has, and may exercise, all the
powers and shall perform all the functions of the Chairman.

(6) At any time when a person who is not a member of the Commission is acting
as 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.