CHAPTER II
The Governor General
19. Establishment of Office
20. Acting Governor General
21. Oaths
22. Deputy to Governor General
19. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE
There shall be a Governor General of Saint Lucia who shall be a citizen appointed by Her Majesty and shall hold office during Her Majesty’s pleasure and who shall be Her Majesty’s representative in Saint Lucia.
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20. ACTING GOVERNOR GENERAL
(1) During any period when the office of Governor General is vacant or the holder of the office of Governor General is absent from Saint Lucia or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office those functions shall be performed by such person as Her Majesty may appoint.
(2) Any such person as aforesaid shall not continue to perform the functions of the office of Governor General if the holder of the office of Governor General or some other person having a prior right to perform the functions of that office has notified him or her that he or she is about to assume or resume those functions.
(3) The holder of the office of Governor General shall not, for the purposes of this section, be regarded as absent from Saint Lucia or as unable to perform the functions of his or her office—
(a) by reason that he or she is in passage from one part of Saint Lucia to another; or
(b) at any time when there is a subsisting appointment of a deputy under section 22.
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21. OATHS
A person appointed to hold the office of Governor General shall, before entering upon the duties of that office, take and subscribe the oath of allegiance and the oath of office.
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22. DEPUTY TO GOVERNOR GENERAL
(1) Whenever the Governor General—
(a) has occasion to be absent from the seat of government but not from Saint Lucia;
(b) has occasion to be absent from Saint Lucia for a period which he or she considers, acting in his or her own deliberate judgment, will be of short duration; or
(c) is suffering from an illness which he or she considers, acting in his or her own deliberate judgment, will be of short duration,
he or she may, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint any person in Saint Lucia to be his or her deputy during such absence or illness and in that capacity to perform on his or her behalf such of the functions of the office of Governor General as may be specified in the instrument by which he or she is appointed.
(2) The power and authority of the Governor General shall not be abridged, altered or in any way affected by the appointment of a deputy under this section, and, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, a deputy shall conform to and observe all instructions that the Governor General, acting in his or her own deliberate judgment, may from time to time address to him or her:
Provided that the question whether or not a deputy has conformed to and observed any such instructions shall not be enquired into by any court of law.
(3) A person appointed as deputy under this section shall hold that appointment for such period as may be specified in the instrument by which he or she is appointed, and his or her appointment may be revoked at any time by the Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister.
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