82Officers who are to act as commanding officers and appropriate superior authorities
(1)In this Act the expression " commanding officer ", in relation to a person charged with an offence, means such officer having powers of command over that person as may be determined by or under regulations of the Air Council.
(2)The following persons may act as appropriate superior authority in relation to a person charged with an offence, that is to say,—
(a)any air officer, flag officer, general officer or brigadier having power to convene general courts-martial, or
(b)such other air officer, flag officer, general officer or brigadier, or, where the Air Council in special circumstances so direct, group captain, as may be specified by or under regulations of the Air Council:
Provided that an officer under such rank as may be specified by regulations under this section shall not act as appropriate superior authority where the accused is above such rank as may be so specified.
(3)Regulations under this section may confer on officers, or any class of officers, who by or under the regulations are authorised to exercise the functions of commanding officer power to delegate those functions, in such cases and to such extent as may be specified in the regulations, to officers of a class so specified.