Section 178: Complaints by officers

(1) If an officer thinks himself wronged in any matter by a superior officer or authority and on application to his commanding officer does not obtain the redress to which he thinks he is entitled, he may make a complaint with respect to that matter to the Forces Council.
(2) On receiving a complaint under subsection (1) of this section, the Forces Council shall investigate the matter and grant any redress which appears to the Forces Council to be necessary or if the complainant so requires, the Forces Council shall make its report on the complaint in order to seek the directions of the President on the matter.
(3) Subject to subsection (1) of this section, an officer who feels he has been wronged in any matter shall first exhaust the administrative remedies available to him under this section of this Act before embarking on any other action.
(4) An initial complaint by an officer to his commanding officer under subsection (1) of this section, shall be made not later than three months of the wrong in respect of which it is brought, and where the officer has not obtained the redress to which he thinks himself entitled, he may make a further complaint in the prescribed manner to the authority prescribed under subsection (1) of this section not later than three months of the complaint or of receiving the unfavourable redress, as the case may be.
(5) No officer shall be penalised for having made a complaint in accordance with this section if the complaint does not contravene a provision of this Act.