s 332 Administrative reduction in rank or rate
(1) The rank or rate of a warrant officer or non-commissioned officer may be reduced only by an order made by that person's commanding officer. (2) An order of a commanding officer reducing the rank or rate of a warrant officer or non-commissioned officer (“an order reducing rank or rate”)— (a) may not be made without the permission of higher authority (but this is subject to subsection (3)); (b) may not reduce the rank of a person in any of Her Majesty's air forces below the highest rank that person has held in that force as an airman. (3) The permission of higher authority is not required for an order reducing rank or rate if— (a) the person whose rank is to be reduced is a lance corporal or lance bombardier; or (b) the commanding officer making the order is of or above the rank of rear admiral, major-general or air vice-marshal. (5) Nothing in this section applies to a reduction in rank or rate by virtue of a sentence. (6) Nothing in this section applies in relation to the reversion of a person, otherwise than on account of his conduct, from his acting rank or rate to his substantive rank or rate.