23.—(1) There shall be a chief executive officer of the Council who shall be known and is referred to in this Act as the Registrar.

(2) The Registrar shall be appointed and may be removed from office at any time for stated reasons by the Council.

(3) The Registrar shall carry on and manage and control generally the administration and business of the Council and perform such other functions as may be determined by the Council.

(4) The Registrar shall hold office for such term and upon and subject to such other terms and conditions (including terms and conditions relating to remuneration) as may be determined by the Council.

(5) The Council shall act through, and its functions shall be performed in the name of the Council by, the Registrar or another member of the staff of the Council duly authorised in that behalf by the Registrar.

(6) The Registrar may make proposals to the Council on any matter relating to its activities.

(7) The Registrar shall be employed on a full-time basis by the Council and shall not hold any other office or position without the consent of the Council.

(8) The Registrar shall not be a member of the Council or of a committee established under this Act.

(9)  (a) Where—

(i) there is no person holding the office of Registrar, or

(ii) the Registrar cannot adequately perform his or her functions as a result of illness, or

(iii) the Registrar has been suspended,

the Council may appoint a person, who shall be known as the Acting Registrar, to perform the functions of the Registrar.

(b) An Acting Registrar shall be appointed to hold office for such period as the Council considers appropriate, but such appointment shall—

(i) where paragraph (a)(i) applies, be for the period until a Registrar is appointed or for a period not exceeding 12 months, whichever is the shorter period, and

(ii) where subparagraph (ii) or (iii) of paragraph (a) applies, be for the period until the incapacity or suspension ceases or for a period not exceeding 12 months, whichever is the shorter period.

(c) Where a person is Acting Registrar pursuant to subparagraph (ii) or (iii) of paragraph (a), and—

(i) the Registrar dies, or

(ii) the Registrar otherwise ceases to hold office, other than by a decision of the Council,

then the Acting Registrar shall continue to hold office until the meeting of the Council which first occurs after the day the Registrar dies or so ceases to hold office.

(d) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c), the Acting Registrar shall hold office for such term and upon and subject to such other terms and conditions (including terms and conditions relating to remuneration) as may be determined by the Council.

(10) In this section “remuneration” includes allowances for expenses, benefits-in-kind and superannuation.