Chief Secretary of Ceylon

{{Infobox official post

| post = Chief Secretary

| body = Ceylon

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| member_of = the Executive Council

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| residence = Temple Trees

| seat = The Secretariat

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| appointer = Governor of British Ceylon

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| precursor = Colonial Secretary of Ceylon

| formation = 12 October 1798

| first = Hugh Cleghorn

| last = Robert Drayton

| abolished = 1946

| succession = Prime Minister of Ceylon

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| deputy = Deputy Chief Secretary

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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.{{cite book|last=Wrigh|first=Arnold|title=Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon|year=1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eUF_rS8FEoIC&q=Colonial+Secretary+of+Ceylon&pg=PA94|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=9788120613355|accessdate=22 March 2014}}{{cite book|last=Mills|first=Lennox A|title=Ceylon Under British Rule 1795-1932|date=12 November 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IUSu8P5iWbIC&q=Colonial+Secretary+of+Ceylon&pg=PA42|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781136262715|accessdate=22 March 2014}}

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.{{cite news|last=Ubeywarna|first=D. L.|title=Lanka's journey to Independence, in retrospect: Impact of constitutional developments on nation - making|url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2004/02/14/fea01.html|newspaper=Daily News (Sri Lanka)|date=14 February 2004}} As such, the 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 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.{{cite web |title=1942 Ferguson's Ceylon Directory |url=https://www.historyofceylontea.com/ceylon-publications/fergusons-directory/1942-fergusons-ceylon-directory/quick-view/index.php#&gid=1&pid=222 |publisher=Ferguson's Directory |access-date=30 July 2021}}{{cite web |title=Evolution of the Office of the Attorney General in Sri Lanka |url=http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.lk/evolution-of-the-office-of-the-ag/ |website=attorneygeneral.gov.lk |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-date=30 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730110954/http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.lk/evolution-of-the-office-of-the-ag/ |url-status=dead }}