[LEAPSECS] the abbreviation UTC

[mike cook]

Le 18/08/2011 02:06, Steve Allen a écrit :

>

> On 2011 Aug 15, at 10:54, Tony Finch wrote:

>>> http://www.ucolick.org/~sla/leapsecs/timescales.html#UTC


The BBC World Service still announce the time as GMT and so I wondered 
if UTC had ever been incorporated in English law.  I discovered that an 
attempt to change the legal definition of time from GMT to UTC, by an  
amendment to the Interpretation Act 1978,  was made in the House of 
Lords in 1997.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/ldhansrd/vo970611/text/70611-10.htm

Though passed by the Lords, this bill never made it to the statute 
books, UTC does not  therefore have legal status in the UK though it is 
the time scale in use by the Beeb  in their broadcasts and  of course 
elsewhere.

Could this be a good argument for getting parking ticket offences thrown 
out?  Or any legal case where time is a factor? If the traffic wardens 
or police set their watches by the BBC, MSF or any other UTC based 
provider,  then they are using a time scale that is not recognised in law.

As I live in France, that doesn't affect me directly, but I will check 
with the French statutes to see what their definition of time is.  Could 
save me a Euro or two.

Many thanks to Steve for collating and making available this fascinating 
and instructive material on his site.

Regards
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