Paragraphs 12- 15 Term of office etc. of Commissioners
234.Paragraphs 12 to 15 provide for the term of office of the Commissioners. They will serve for two fixed terms of up to five years, meaning that their maximum period of service is 10 years. Commissioners cease to be Commissioners if they cease to qualify for the category of membership under which they were appointed. However, the Lord Chancellor may allow Commissioners to continue in office for a specified period even if they have ceased to fall within the category to which they were appointed. For example, if a member had particular skills or a background which was required for a particular competition that was being run by the Commission, then the Lord Chancellor might allow him to continue in office until the competition was over. Commissioners also lose office if they are appointed to the civil service, but they may not be continued in office where this is the case. If a Commissioner resigns he must do so in writing to The Queen. Commissioners can be removed from office by The Queen on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor. Paragraph 15 (2) specifies the conditions in which the Lord Chancellor may recommend that a Commissioner be removed from office. They are that the person has failed to exercise their functions for a continuous period of six months; or they have been convicted of an offence; or they have been made bankrupt; or are otherwise unfit to hold office or unable to exercise its functions.