British Summer Time: historical information

History of legal time in Britain
Introduction
Before the railways, local mean time was the time kept by clocks
and used for general purposes in the UK, insofar as people kept time
by clocks rather than by the sun. (Mean time, as shown by
sufficiently accurate clocks, had largely replaced apparent time, as
shown by a sundial, from around the end of the eighteenth century.)
With the coming of the railways, it became a significant problem for
timetables that the time at one end of a railway line should differ
significantly from that at the other. For this reason, in the 1840s
the railway companies started to keep London time consistently at
their stations and on their trains; on 22 September 1847 it was
recommended by the Railway Clearing House that all the railway
companies should adopt Greenwich time, and by January 1848 this had
generally been done. Over the next few years the rest of the country
followed the railways, but in the 1858 case of Curtis v. March it was
ruled that the time for legal purposes must be considered to be local
mean time. In 1880 the legal time for Great Britain was made
Greenwich mean time by Act of Parliament; that for Ireland was made
Dublin mean time. For a more detailed history of events up to this
point, see Derek Howse,
Greenwich Time and the Longitude
(National Maritime Museum / Philip Wilson Publishers, 1997).
Having established a simple, uniform timescale of GMT (the time for
Ireland was changed in 1916 to also be GMT), it might be expected that
this would have sufficed to establish the legal definition of time
until the development of atomic timescales in the 1950s. However,
successive governments have proved incapable of avoiding tampering
with the clocks, leading to the story described on this page, while
the legal definition is still based on GMT, even though time signals
have been giving more uniform timescales for decades—UTC, with leap
seconds, since 1972.
The form of governmental tampering has generally been the
institution of Summer Time, advancing the legal time by one hour
during the summer months in order to promote greater efficiency in the
use of the daylight hours and of artificial lighting; originally
introduced as a wartime measure in 1916, this has been continued
through peacetime as well, with occasional variations such as double
summer time (advancing the clocks by a second hour for part of the
summer) in World War 2—the government files on which in the Public
Record Office (now National Archives) having, when the closure period
was first set (probably
late 1960s), been deemed so sensitive as to merit a closure
period of 100 years—and the experiment with British Standard Time
from 1968 to 1972, by which the time was advanced by one hour from GMT
throughout the year. In addition, the precise start and end dates and
times for Summer Time have been the subject of a great many individual
orders detailed below. Adjusting the clocks has been an extremely
effective way of really changing the times at which most people work
(as measured on a uniform time scale), while giving the misleading
impression that they are not changing the times at which they work,
but rather an act of government has changed the times at which the sun
rises and sets. (In February 2000 I requested a review of the
extended closure period of the World War 2 summer time records, and in
May the Home Office concluded that they could now be opened to the public.)
Every so often, someone tries again to institute the keeping in the
UK of a time one hour ahead of GMT in winter, and two hours ahead in
summer. Apart from arguments concerning notional convenience in
dealing with Europe, the arguments for this seek lighter evenings
(say, after work), the arguments against lighter mornings (say, for
children going to school); and either side may quote statistics on
accident rates that suit its cause. My personal view is that we
should do away with the twice annual changing of clocks and maintain
UTC as legal time for the whole year. Those people wishing for
lighter evenings could arrange with their employers to start and
finish work earlier—with changes in working practices, this type of
arrangement becomes increasingly practicable—without causing
everyone’s hours to change as they would by default under a change of
the legal time. People for whom dark mornings would be a problem need
not go to earlier hours. It would be appropriate for governments to
try to generally encourage changes in hours where those changes have
benefits in the particular circumstances, for example through tax
incentives for seasonally varying opening hours, for flexible
arrangements allowing hours chosen by the individual, or more directly
for energy efficiency; and if needed a greater degree of coercion
could be applied in wartime. I
would consider the value of the honesty of being clear that the aim is
to change working times, rather than hiding it behind changes of
clocks, to out-weigh the advantages that may arise from such changes.
The strongest argument for doing away with Summer Time might
however be that it could help deal with certain misconceptions that
changes to the clocks can create “extra daylight”. Some years ago this
idea came up in a Private Member’s Bill, the British Time (Extra
Daylight) Bill of 1995–6 introduced by John Butterfill MP. While this
attempt failed, it appeared that the idea that politicians could
create extra daylight by legislating for it was unfortunately
widespread.
While I believe that Summer Time should be done away with, the
study of how politicians have managed to fiddle with such a simple
matter (simple legally, not technically) as how to define the time of
day has turned out to be fascinating, showing how governments can make
such a mess of a simple matter, with over seventy relevant pieces of
legislation in a little over a century, along with the oddities of the
incompleteness of preservation of the record of published twentieth
century secondary legislation.
Below, I attempt to present the details of every piece of
legislation, primary, secondary and European, relating to Summer Time
and legal time in the UK; along with such details as I have been able
to uncover of the relevant legislation for the Crown Dependencies (the
Channel Islands and the Isle of Man). The area that is now the
Republic of Ireland is not covered after its independence, though it
is thought to have followed
mostly the same times except during World War 2, and the details for
the Crown Dependencies have gaps. Texts of legislation may eventually
be provided here and be linked to below.
Much of this is based on the work of Peter Ilieve for the
public-domain UNIX
timezone database
distributed from elsie.nci.nih.gov (commonly
referred to as the Olson or tz database). In 1998 I tracked down
various of the more elusive orders and filled in many of the gaps in
this information; since then I have, as time permits, sought further
details from the files in the
National Archives
(formerly Public Record Office) and elsewhere.
None of the information provided here is official, and it should
not be relied on for any purpose. The nearest there is to an official
source of summer time history is probably a table in the 1989
government consultation paper
Summer Time: A Consultation
Document
(Cm 722), but that table has errors in it.
Information on summer time dates, including an accurate historical
table of dates (but not times), is
available
from the National Physical Laboratory
. Summer Time has been the
responsibility of several government departments, including
the Home Office Liquor,
Gambling and Data Protection Unit, then the Department of Trade and
Industry Employment Relations Directorate, then the Department for
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, but dates are
nowadays set to accord with European directives.
For those interested in further study of this subject, a
list of references of National Archives files
relating to Summer Time
may be of use; this list is somewhat of
out date regarding records transferred in the past few years.
Constitutional background
To understand the legislative history below, it may be useful to
bear the following in mind. (IANAL, this information simply reflects
my understanding of the relevant law and may not be precise in all
circumstances.)
The legal information here only relates to the period from 1880 to
the present.
The United Kingdom has consisted, in UK constitutional terms, of
Great Britain plus Ireland up to 1922, and Great Britain plus Northern
Ireland from 1922, although in practical terms the partition of
Ireland occurred earlier.
The Crown Dependencies (the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
are not part of the United Kingdom, although they are associated with
it; nor are they or have they ever been part of the European
Communities / European Union. The Isle of Man has its own parliament
(the Tynwald). The Channel Islands are made up of two Bailiwicks,
those of Jersey and Guernsey, the latter including Alderney, Sark and
some small islands. Jersey and Guernsey have their own parliaments
(the States); Alderney and Sark also have their own parliaments which
carry out some of their own government. Laws of the United Kingdom
may apply to the Crown Dependencies, but do not do so unless they
specifically say so.
Laws of the United Kingdom generally apply to the whole of the
United Kingdom unless otherwise stated.
For much of the period covered, Northern Ireland had its own
parliament with power to legislate on the matters covered here. In
1924 it legislated that the time in Northern Ireland should be the
same as that in Great Britain; in 1954 it legislated for the time to
be GMT except when statute specified otherwise. The relevant United
Kingdom legislation for this period included Northern Ireland in its
coverage; special wording in the Acts allowed for the Northern Ireland
Parliament to amend them for Northern Ireland if it so wished, which
it did not.
The
Scotland
Act 1998 (1998 c. 46)
established a devolved parliament for
Scotland, but regulation of time zones and Summer Time is reserved to
Westminster. The more limited devolution for Wales provided for by
the
Government
of Wales Act 1998 (1998 c. 38)
would not seem to cover time zones
and Summer Time; powers in this matter were
devolved in Northern Ireland under the
Northern
Ireland Act 1998 (1998 c. 47)
Primary legislation in the UK is in the form of Acts of
Parliament; these may provide powers to make secondary legislation in
the form of regulations and orders without the full Parliamentary
procedure. Most of the Summer Time regulations were made under such
powers. A few laws passed by the former Irish Parliament (before 1800)
and Scottish Parliament (before the Union of Scotland with England and
Wales) may still be in force, but are not relevant for the purposes of
this history.
After an Act of Parliament has become spent (no longer has effect
in current law, other than through an explicit repeal), it may be
explicitly repealed to keep the Statute Book tidy. The same applies
to parts of Acts not needed in current law (e.g., transitional
provisions). Note that if Act B repealed Act A, and Act C repeals Act
B, the repeal of Act B does not resurrect Act A, unless specifically
provided otherwise; and repeals do not affect the law as regards acts
done under the old Act when valid. In the cases of routine repeals of
Acts that were spent, or where the repeal was irrelevant to the Summer
Time law current at the time, details below are generally from the
Chronological Table of the Statutes
(and the
corresponding publication for Northern Ireland) and have not been
checked with the repealing Acts mentioned but not separately listed
below.
Secondary legislation has generally been published in series of
Statutory Rules and Orders
, from 1890 to around 1948, and
Statutory Instruments
, from around 1948 to the present
day; orders are assigned serial numbers within each year. Except for
local orders and a few other classes that are not relevant here, the
orders were printed and published individually by HMSO; the summer
time orders were generally a single page. They were also collected in
annual published volumes, at first organised by topic and then more
recently in strict numerical sequence; the annual volumes are readily
available in libraries, whereas the individual printed orders were not
generally kept at first (some were kept and bound into volumes at
HMSO; later, the individual orders were kept by the British Library).
The annual volumes sometimes omitted the texts of orders that were
spent by the end of the year—a provision which includes several of
the Summer Time orders applying to a single year only, which makes
them difficult to obtain. I have tried to note below those cases
where the orders were omitted from the annual volumes. (Notes on the
problems with finding texts of local orders may be found in the
preamble to the annual volumes of Statutory Instruments, and in that
to the
Chronological Table of Local Legislation
.)
The UK joined the European Communities in 1973 and left
on 31 January 2020. European legislation on Summer Time has taken the
form of directives requiring member states to implement certain start
and end dates and times for Summer Time into national law; in the UK
this was done via orders under the Summer Time Act, 1972 until 2001;
then the European rules were implemented on a permanent basis using an
order under the European Communities Act 1972.
The Channel Islands were under German occupation in World War 2.
I do not have any details about the orders involved, or confirmed
information about timekeeping in Guernsey at this time, but Arwel
Parry quotes the Exhibition Guide to the German Underground Hospital,
Jersey: “Around a hundred German troops and officials arrived
that first day (1 July 1940) under the command of Captain Erich Gussek
who established himself at the Town Hall as the first German
Commandant. Soldiers were immediately posted at hotels and public
buildings. Anti-aircraft and machine gun posts were set up. A list
of orders was issued for the Islanders to follow including a curfew
from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a ban on the sale of spirits. Clocks were
put forward an hour in keeping with Central European Time. This
created a slight hitch the first morning when the Islanders forgot.
Captain Gussek arrived at the Royal Court House to find the building
locked up and nobody there.”.
Names and abbreviations
The laws discussed do not prescribe a specific name for the times
zero, one or two hours ahead of GMT. The UK laws refer to “Greenwich
mean time” and “Dublin mean time”; the European directives use
different capitalisation, “Greenwich Mean Time”. Exceptionally, the
1968–71 experiment with time one hour ahead of GMT throughout the year
had the name “British standard time” specified by law. The name
British Summer Time (abbreviated BST) is in common use; the name
British Double Summer Time (abbreviated BDST) seems to have been used
in World War 2, as was Double British Summer Time (DBST); both names
appear in official archives (a
letter from
Sir Stephen Tallents, K.C.M.G., C.B., C.B.E. of the BBC to Sir
Alexander Maxwell, K.C.B., K.B.E. of the Home Office about this
and the
reply from the Home Office
are
available, both from photocopies supplied by the
Public Record Office
(now National Archives) of records held
in the National Archives in HO 144/22703, by the kind permission of the BBC for
their letter and the general waiver of Crown Copyright in public
records unpublished at the time of transfer to the National Archives for the Home
Office letter). I do not know what name was used for the time used in
Ireland in summer 1916, one hour ahead of Dublin mean time.
Gaps in the history
I do not have the following information or documents; sources would
be welcome.
The Act of Tynwald (the Isle of Man parliament) “The Statutory
Time Act, 1883”, which probably made the time in the Isle of Man be
GMT in some way.
Information on when GMT was adopted in Alderney and Sark.
Details of which time system was used for the end of Summer Time
in Sark in 1918.
Any printed form of the 1916 Alderney order. Any 1916 Sark order.
Any 1917 orders from the Channel Islands.
Any printed form of the 1918 Alderney or Sark orders. Any 1918
Jersey order.
Any orders from the Channel Islands from 1919 to 1922 inclusive.
In particular, details of the observance of the end of Summer Time in
the Channel Islands in 1922 (the Summer Time Act, 1922, having no
saving provision for Channel Islands orders as it did for orders under
the Summer Time Act, 1916).
The 1922 UK order in the form in which it was issued in the series
of Statutory Rules and Orders (S.R.&O. 1922 No. 264).
The 1922 Isle of Man order (S.R.&O. 1922 No. 290).
Any information (beyond the quotation above) on the keeping of time in the Channel Islands in
World War 2, both under German occupation and afterwards. I have
references to “The Defence (Channel Islands) Regulations, 1944” with
marginal titles “Advance of time” and “Change of time”; but these
regulations are not part of the UK series of Statutory Rules and
Orders.
A definite answer to the question of the exact time at which
British standard time started in 1968. (The Act just gives a date on
which it comes into effect, meaning the start of that day; some doubt
has been raised as to what time scheme this start is to be reckoned
in.)
The Isle of Man order bringing the Manx Time Act, 1968 into effect
(it states that it shall come into effect on such day as the Governor
may by order appoint).
The current Guernsey legislation on Summer Time; the 2002 order
does not apply in Guernsey, although previous orders did.
Legislative History
Unless otherwise indicated, Acts listed here are Acts of the UK
Parliament; orders with S.I. or S.R.&O. references are published
in the UK series of Statutory Instruments and Statutory Rules and
Orders. This list does not include those laws mentioned above as ones
that I have not been able to obtain.
Long title: An Act to remove doubts as to the meaning of
Expressions relative to Time occurring in Acts of Parliament, deeds,
and other legal instruments.
Date of Royal Assent: 2nd August 1880.
This Act replaced the ruling in Curtis v. March by a statutory
definition of legal time in Great Britain as being Greenwich mean time
and in Ireland as being Dublin mean time. This replaced local mean
time, which had been held to be the legal time since Curtis v. March
in 1858.
Long title: Loi réglant l’heure officielle à
Jersey d’après l’heure moyenne de Greenwich,
confirmée par Ordre de Sa Majesté en Conseil en date du
19 Mai 1898.
Date passed: 10th February 1898.
This defines the legal time in Jersey to be GMT
(“l’heure moyenne de Greenwich”), with effect from
when the law was proclaimed. It was proclaimed in the Royal Square at
around 4pm on Saturday 11 June 1898 (thanks to Geraint Jennings for
this research).
Ordonnance réglant l’heure légale, Guernesey,
1913
This defines the legal time in the island of Guernsey to be GMT
(“temps moyen de Greenwich”). It was approved by the
States on 18 June 1913, with no specific commencement date so
suggesting (in the view of the staff in the Greffe, Guernsey) that it
came into effect immediately that day (thanks to David Cranch for this
research). The text, without the date of being passed by the States,
may be found in
Recueil d’Ordonnances de la Cour Royale de
l’Ile de Guernesey
(Tome V, 1901—1931). This
followed a Requête from ten members of the States in 1909 to
pass a law not just adopting standard time but also adopting a time
one hour in advance of Greenwich mean time “from the hour of
2 a.m. on the third Sunday in April to the hour of 2 a.m. on
the third Sunday in September”; however, the adopted law did not
include that provision, only the adoption of GMT.
Isle of Man (War Legislation) Act, 1914 (4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 62)
Long title: An Act to enable His Majesty, by Order in Council, to
extend to the Isle of Man Acts passed in connection with the present
War.
Date of Royal Assent: 28th August 1914.
This Act gave the power to extend wartime emergency legislation to
the Isle of Man by Order in Council (i.e., by secondary legislation).
It was used to provide for Summer Time in the Isle of Man.
This Act was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1927 (17
& 18 Geo. 5. c. 42).
Summer Time Act, 1916 (6 & 7 Geo. 5. c. 14)
Long title: An Act to provide for the Time in Great Britain and
Ireland being in advance of Greenwich and Dublin mean time
respectively in the summer months.
Date of Royal Assent: 17th May 1916.
This Act provided for the first introduction of Summer Time in the
United Kingdom. It applied to the year 1916, and to such subsequent
years during the continuance of the then present war as it might be
extended to by Order in Council (the Order in Council needing to be
made during the year in question, and during the continuance of the
war, though the period of Summer Time might end after the end of the
war). It provided for the time to be advanced by one hour (from
Greenwich mean time in Great Britain; from Dublin mean time in
Ireland) during a specified period each year; for 1916 that period was
specified as from Sunday 21 May to Sunday 1 October, each at 2am GMT
in Great Britain and 2am Dublin mean time in Ireland; and for
subsequent years the period was to be specified by Order in Council.
After the Act had expired, it was in due course repealed by the
Statute Law Revision Act, 1927 (17 & 18 Geo. 5. c. 42).
Time (Ireland) Act, 1916 (6 & 7 Geo. 5. c. 45)
Long title: An Act to assimilate the Time adopted for use in
Ireland to that adopted for use in Great Britain.
Date of Royal Assent: 23rd August 1916.
This Act changed the time used in Ireland to be the same as that
used in Great Britain, both during Summer Time and at other times.
This change took effect from 2am Dublin mean time on Sunday 1 October
1916. This was the time at which the change back from summer time
would have happened; Great Britain had already gone back 25 minutes
earlier, so Ireland had just one time transition that morning, where
the time that would have been 3am according to the Summer Time then in
operation in Ireland became 02:25:21 GMT.
This Act remains in force; parts not required for the continued
effect of the same time in Great Britain and Northern Ireland were
repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1927 (17 & 18
Geo. 5. c. 42).
S.R.&O. 1916 No. 382 (Isle of Man—Summer Time)
Long title: Order extending the Summer Time Act, 1916 (6 & 7
Geo. 5, c. 14), with adaptations.
Date: 23rd May 1916.
This order, under the Isle of Man (War Legislation) Act, 1914,
extended the Summer Time Act, 1916 to the Isle of Man, creating an
object known as the “Summer Time (Isle of Man) Act, 1916”, with
retroactive effect from the date on which the Summer Time Act, 1916
took effect in the United Kingdom. Note that the date of this order
is actually two days after Summer Time is deemed to have started.
Ordonnance Provisoire Portant Modification à l’Heure
Légale, Auregny, 17 Mai 1916
This provides for the time in Alderney to be advanced by one hour
between end dates and times specified in 1916, which are the same as
those in Great Britain. My copy is a photocopy of a manuscript to be
found in the National Archives file HO 45/10811/312364; this same
file is where I found the other 1916 Channel Islands orders listed.
Acte avançant l’heure officielle pendant les mois
d’été. Aux Etats de l’Ile de Jersey. L’An 1916, le 13e
jour de Mai
This advances the official time of Jersey by one hour over GMT,
from midnight on Saturday 20th May to midnight on Saturday 30th
September, 1916; it is not specified whether the second time is in GMT
or in GMT plus one hour, so presumably GMT plus one hour. Though this
is not the same time as that of
the transition in Great Britain, it also says that the States (the
parliament of the island) will determine the times for similar
advances in subsequent years so as to keep the local official time
always the same as the time in Great Britain. In the debate on this
law in the States of Jersey the Bailiff said that there were
(unspecified) “raisons sérieuses” for the UK to use
2am, while midnight was presumed in the debate to be the natural time
for the change (thanks to Geraint Jennings for this research).
Ordonnance Provisoire portant Modification à l’Heure
Légale, Guernesey, le 13 mai 1916
This order has essentially the same wording as the Alderney one,
and makes the same provision for the advance of time in Guernsey in
1916.
S.R.&O. 1917 No. 362 (Time—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council declaring the Summer Time Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5. c. 14) as amended by the Time (Ireland) Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5. c. 45) to be in force during the year 1917.
Date: 30th March 1917.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1916, declares the Act to be
in force during 1917, with start date Sunday 8th April and end date
Monday 17th September, both at 2am Greenwich Mean Time (so
capitalised). Note the unusual start on Easter Sunday and end on a
Monday.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
S.R.&O. 1917 No. 358 (Isle of Man—Summer Time)
Long title: Order declaring the Summer Time (Isle of Man) Act,
1916, to be in force during the year 1917.
Date: 30th March 1917.
This order, under the Summer Time (Isle of Man) Act, 1916, declares
the Act to be in force in the Isle of Man during 1917, with the same
start and end dates and times as in the United Kingdom.
S.R.&O. 1918 No. 274 (Time—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council declaring the Summer Time Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 14), as amended by the Time (Ireland) Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 45), to be in force during the Year 1918.
Date: 27th February 1918.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1916, declares the Act to be
in force during 1918, with start date Sunday 24th March and end date
Monday 30th September, both at 2am Greenwich Mean Time.
S.R.&O. 1918 No. 429 (Isle of Man—Summer Time)
Long title: Order declaring the Summer Time (Isle of Man) Act,
1916, to be in force during the year 1918.
Date: 22nd March 1918.
This order, under the Summer Time (Isle of Man) Act, 1916, declares
the Act to be in force in the Isle of Man during 1918, with the same
start and end dates and times as in the United Kingdom.
Ordonnance Provisoire portant Modification à l’Heure
Légale, Guernesey, le 9 mars 1918
This provides for the legal time in Guernsey to be advanced by one
hour during the specified period in 1918, which is the same as that in
the UK. The wording is very similar to that of the 1916 order. I
found this in the National Archives file HO 45/10892/357138, where
I also found the other 1918 Channel Islands orders listed.
Ordonnance Provisoire portant Modification à l’Heure
Légale, Auregny, le 9 Mars 1918
This makes essentially the same provision for Alderney in 1918 as
the previous order listed did for Guernsey. The copy in the National
Archives file is a typescript with manuscript amendments.
Serk, le 15ême Mars 1918
This typewritten extract from the Registers of Sark states that it
was decided, at an extraordinary assembly held on the 15th of March,
to advance the legal time for one hour for a specified period in 1918.
The start and end dates are the same as in the UK; both times are
given as 2am, the start “temps de Greenwich” and the end in an
unspecified scheme.
Termination of the Present War (Definition) Act, 1918 (8 & 9
Geo. 5. c. 59)
Long title: An Act to make provision for determining the date of
the termination of the present war, and for purposes connected
therewith.
Date of Royal Assent: 21st November 1918.
This gave power for an Order in Council to be made specifying what
date was to be taken as the termination of the war, in which fighting
had recently ceased, for the purposes of emergency legislation and
such like providing powers for the duration of the war only; it
provided that “The date so declared shall be as nearly as may be the
date of the exchange or deposit of ratifications of the treaty or
treaties of peace”. The date of termination was declared, by Order in
Council dated 10th August 1921 (S.R.&O. 1921 No. 1276, see below),
to be 31st August 1921. Separate Orders could be and were made
concerning the dates of termination of the war with specific
countries, but only the date of termination of the war generally is
relevant here.
This Act was repealed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1978 (1978
c. 45).
S.R.&O. 1919 No. 297 (Time—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council declaring the Summer Time Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 14), as amended by the Time (Ireland) Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 45), to be in force during the year 1919.
Date: 24th February 1919.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1916, declares the Act to be
in force during 1919, with start date Sunday 30th March and end date
Monday 29th September, both at 2am Greenwich Mean Time.
S.R.&O. 1919 No. 366 (Isle of Man—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council declaring the Summer Time (Isle of
Man) Act, 1916, to be in force during the year 1919.
Date: 12th March 1919.
This order, under the Summer Time (Isle of Man) Act, 1916, declares
the Act to be in force in the Isle of Man during 1919, with the same
start and end dates and times as in the United Kingdom.
S.R.&O. 1920 No. 458 (Time—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council declaring the Summer Time Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 14) as amended by the Time (Ireland) Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 45), to be in force during the year 1920.
Date: 2nd March 1920.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1916, declares the Act to be
in force during 1920, with start date Sunday 28th March and end date
Monday 27th September, both at 2am Greenwich Mean Time.
S.R.&O. 1920 No. 573 (Isle of Man—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council declaring the Summer Time (Isle of
Man) Act, 1916, to be in force during the year 1920.
Date: 11th March 1920.
This order, under the Summer Time (Isle of Man) Act, 1916, declares
the Act to be in force in the Isle of Man during 1920, with the same
start and end dates and times as in the United Kingdom.
S.R.&O. 1920 No. 1844 (Time—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council extending date of operation of Orders
in Council declaring the Summer Time Act, 1916 (6 & 7 Geo. 5,
c. 14), as amended by the Time (Ireland) Act, 1916 (6 & 7 Geo. 5,
c. 45), to be in force during the year 1920.
Date: 24th September 1920.
This order modifies both the previous two orders to change the end
date for Summer Time in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man in 1920
to Monday 25th October, the time of day being unchanged. This is
reported by the 1989 consultation paper as being because of a coal
strike.
War Emergency Laws (Continuance) Act, 1920 (10 Geo. 5. c. 5)
Long title: An Act to continue temporarily certain emergency
enactments and regulations, and to make provision with respect to the
expiration or revocation of emergency enactments and instruments made
thereunder.
Date of Royal Assent: 31st March 1920.
This Act, among other extensions of various emergency laws, extends
the power to make Orders in Council under the Summer Time Act, 1916
for a period of twelve months after the termination of the war (i.e.,
to 31st August 1922, given the date of termination that was eventually
set but had not been set by the time of this Act). The extension of
powers covered the extension of the 1916 Act to the Isle of Man.
This Act was repealed by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1978 (1978
c. 45).
S.R.&O. 1921 No. 363 (Time—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council declaring the Summer Time Act, 1916
(6 & 7 Geo. 5, c. 14), as amended, to be in force during the year
1921.
Date: 9th March 1921.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1916, declares the Act to be
in force during 1921, with start date Sunday 3rd April and end date
Monday 3rd October, both at 2am Greenwich Mean Time.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
S.R.&O. 1921 No. 364 (Isle of Man—Summer Time)
Long title: Order in Council declaring the Summer Time (Isle of
Man) Act, 1916, to be in force during the year 1921.
Date: 9th March 1921.
This order, under the Summer Time (Isle of Man) Act, 1916, declares
the Act to be in force in the Isle of Man during 1921, with the same
start and end dates and times as in the United Kingdom.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
S.R.&O. 1921 No. 1276 (Termination of the War—General Date
of Termination)
Long title: Order in Council under the Termination of the Present
War (Definition) Act, 1918 (8 & 9 Geo. 5, c. 59), declaring August
31, 1921, to be the Date of the Termination of the War generally.
Date: 10th August 1921.
This order, under the Termination of the Present War (Definition)
Act, 1918, declares that 31st August 1921 is to be taken as the date
of termination of the War (at midnight on that day).
S.R.&O. 1922 No. 264
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1916, declares the Act to be
in force during 1922, with start date Sunday 26th March and end date
Sunday 8th October, both at 2am Greenwich Mean Time. The power to
make such orders under the 1916 Act, extended by the War Emergency
Laws (Continuance) Act, 1920, would finally expire on 31st August
1922, but this order would still determine the end date of Summer Time
in 1922. Note the reversion to Sunday end dates.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes. I have
not found a copy of it in the form in which it was published in the
series of Statutory Rules and Orders; a copy in the form of an Order
in Council (indeed, one copy with a seal affixed, and an envelope with
about ten ordinary copies) may be found in the National Archives
file HO 45/11079/418515. I have not found any copies of the matching
Isle of Man order (S.R.&O. 1922 No. 290) in any form.
Summer Time Act, 1922 (12 & 13 Geo. 5. c. 22)
Long title: An Act to provide for the time in Great Britain,
Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man being in
advance of Greenwich mean time during a certain period of the year.
Date of Royal Assent: 20th July 1922.
This Act provided for the first non-emergency provision of Summer
Time in the United Kingdom. It specifies a time one hour in advance
of Greenwich mean time, applying to Great Britain, Northern Ireland,
the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, from 2am Greenwich mean time
on the day following the third Saturday in April (or, if that day is
Easter Day, the day following the second Saturday) until 2am Greenwich
mean time on the day following the third Saturday in September. It
explicitly did not affect the operation of the Summer Time Act, 1916,
or any Order in Council made under that Act, so that the end date in
1922 remained as determined by S.R.&O. 1922 No. 264 (and
presumably corresponding orders for the Isle of Man and Channel
Islands, though no such saving for the Channel Islands in mentioned).
It expired on 31 December 1923 unless Parliament determined
otherwise. It made no provision for variation of Summer Time dates by
Order in Council.
S.R.&O. 1922 No. 1205 (Isle of Man—Withdrawal of Emergency
Legislation)
Long title: Order in Council under section 4 (2) of the War
Emergency Laws (Continuance) Act, 1920 (10 & 11 Geo. 5, c. 5),
revoking Orders in Council extending certain Emergency Legislation to
the Isle of Man.
Date: 13th October 1922.
This order, under the War Emergency Laws (continuance) Act, 1920,
revoked various orders under the Isle of Man (War Legislation) Act,
1914 extending emergency laws to the Isle of Man. One of these was
the order (S.R.&O. 1916 No. 382) that so extended the Summer Time
Act, 1916.
Expiring Laws Continuance Act, 1923 (13 & 14
Geo. 5. c. 37)
Long title: An Act to continue certain expiring laws.
Date of Royal Assent: 2nd August 1923.
This Act extended (among other laws) the operation of the Summer
Time Act, 1922 (which would otherwise have expired on 31 December
1923) for one year, to 31 December 1924. The extension did not apply
to Northern Ireland in regard to matters, such as this, where the
Parliament of Northern Ireland had powers to make laws.
This Act was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1950 (14
Geo. 6. c. 6).
Expiring Laws Continuance Act (Northern Ireland), 1923 (13 &
14 Geo. 5. c. 25 (N.I.))
Long title: An Act to continue certain Expiring Laws as respects
Northern Ireland.
Date: 27th November 1923.
This Act of the Northern Ireland Parliament provided the same
extension of the Summer Time Act, 1922 until 31 December 1924 for
Northern Ireland. (Further renewals would not be needed because of
the Time Act (Northern Ireland), 1924.)
This Act was repealed by the Industrial Assurance Act (Northern
Ireland), 1924 (14 & 15 Geo. 5. c. 21 (N.I.)) and the Statute Law
Revision Act (Northern Ireland), 1952 (1952 c. 1).
Expiring Laws Continuance Act, 1924 (15 Geo. 5. c. 1)
Long title: An Act to continue certain expiring laws.
Date of Royal Assent: 18th December 1924.
This Act further extended the operation of the Summer Time Act,
1922 for another year, until 31 December 1925.
This Act was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1950 (14
Geo. 6. c. 6).
Long title: An Act to make provision for the permanent adoption in
Northern Ireland of the Time adopted for use in Great Britain.
Date: 7th November 1924.
This Act of the Northern Ireland Parliament provided that all
future Acts of the UK Parliament and Orders in Council relating to the
time for general purposes in Great Britain should have the same
application to the time for general purposes in Northern Ireland. It
remains in force. The link is to a consolidated version, but the Act
has not been amended.
Summer Time Act, 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 64)
Long title: An Act to provide for the permanent adoption of summer
time.
Date of Royal Assent: 7th August 1925.
This Act made the Summer Time Act, 1922 permanent, so that
Parliament did not need to renew it each year, with a change of end
date to the day after the first Saturday in October.
Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 62)
Long title: An Act to confer on His Majesty certain powers which
it is expedient that His Majesty should be enabled to exercise in the
present emergency; and to make further provision for purposes
connected with the defence of the realm.
Date of Royal Assent: 24th August 1939.
This gave wide-ranging powers for the making by Order in Council of
such regulations as seemed to be necessary or expedient “for securing
the public safety, the defence of the realm, the maintenance of public
order and the efficient prosecution of any war in which His Majesty
may be engaged, and for maintaining supplies and services essential to
the life of the community”. It required annual renewal, but I haven’t
attempted to check the details of renewals.
This Act was repealed by the
Emergency
Laws (Repeal) Act, 1959 (7 & 8 Eliz. 2. c. 19)
The Defence (Summer Time) Regulations, 1939 (S.R.&O. 1939
No. 1379)
Heading: Emergency Powers (Defence)—Summer Time.
Date: 5th October 1939.
These regulations, under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939,
changed the end date of Summer Time to the day after the third
Saturday in November.
S.R.&O. 1940 No. 172 (Emergency Powers (Defence)—Summer
Time)
Long title: Order in Council amending the Defence (Summer Time)
Regulations, 1939.
Date: 6th February 1940.
This order, under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939, amended
the Defence (Summer Time) Regulations, 1939, to change the start date
of Summer Time to the day after the fourth Saturday in February (with,
therefore, no saving needed for Easter).
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1940 (3 & 4
Geo. 6. c. 20)
Long title: An Act to extend the powers which may be exercised by
His Majesty under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939.
Date of Royal Assent: 22nd May 1940.
This Act extends the powers given by the Emergency Powers (Defence)
Act, 1939, and extends the initial date for its expiry to two years
after the 1939 Act was passed (leaving the requirement for annual
renewal after then). It provides for citation with the 1939 Act as
the Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 and 1940.
This Act was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1950 (14
Geo. 6. c. 6) and the Statute Law Revision Act, 1953 (2 & 3
Eliz. 2. c. 5).
Emergency Powers (Defence) (No. 2) Act, 1940 (3 & 4
Geo. 6. c. 45)
Long title: An Act to remove doubts as to the extent of the powers
which may be exercised by His Majesty under the Emergency Powers
(Defence) Act, 1939.
Date of Royal Assent: 1st August 1940.
This Act makes further provision for emergency powers, and provides
that it is to be included among the Acts cited together as the
Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 and 1940.
This Act was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1953 (2
& 3 Eliz. 2. c. 5).
S.R.&O. 1940 No. 1883 (Emergency Powers (Defence)—Summer
Time)
Long title: Order in Council amending the Defence (Summer Time)
Regulations, 1939.
Date: 24th October 1940.
This order, under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 and
1940, amended the Defence (Summer Time) Regulations, 1939 to make the
time be one hour in advance of GMT throughout the year.
S.R.&O. 1941 No. 476 (Emergency Powers (Defence)—Summer
Time)
Long title: Order in Council amending the Defence (Summer Time)
Regulations, 1939.
Date: 4th April 1941.
This order, under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 and
1940, amended the Defence (Summer Time) Regulations, 1939 to provide
for double summer time, during which period the time was two hours in
advance of Greenwich mean time, starting on the day after the first
Saturday in May and ending on the day after the second Saturday in
August, both at 1am Greenwich mean time (rather than the previously
used 2am). The time for the rest of the year remained one hour in
advance of GMT. The order provided savings for certain contracts with
agricultural workers and concerning the production of milk: for those
purposes, the time was to be taken to be one hour in advance of GMT
throughout the year, unless the parties to the contract agreed
otherwise.
S.R.&O. 1942 No. 506 (Emergency Powers (Defence)—Summer
Time)
Long title: Order in Council amending the Defence (Summer Time)
Regulations, 1939.
Date: 19th March 1942.
This order, under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 and
1940, amended the Defence (Summer Time) Regulations, 1939 to change
the start date of double summer time to the day after the first
Saturday in April.
S.R.&O. 1944 No. 932 (Emergency Powers (Defence)—Summer
Time)
Long title: Order in Council amending the Defence (Summer Time)
Regulations, 1939.
Date: 10th August 1944.
This order, under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 and
1940, amended the Defence (Summer Time) Regulations, 1939 to change
the end date of double summer time, for 1944 only, to the day after
the third Saturday in September.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
S.R.&O. 1945 No. 312 (Emergency Powers (Defence)—Summer
Time)
Long title: Order in Council amending the Defence (Summer Time)
Regulations, 1939.
Date: 21st March 1945.
This order, under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 and
1940, amended the Defence (Summer Time) Regulations, 1939 to change
the start date of double summer time to the day after the first Sunday
in April, and the end date to the day after the second Saturday in
July, both for 1945 only. The start on a Monday was because it was
felt necessary for double summer time to operate from the beginning of
April, but the 1st of April was Easter Day. (See Hansard, Oral
Answers, 1 March 1945, columns 1559–1561.)
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
S.R.&O. 1945 No. 1208 (Emergency Powers (Defence)—Defence
(General) Regulations—Amendments)
Long title: Order in Council Revoking and Amending Certain Defence
Regulations.
Date: 28th September 1945.
This order, under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 and
1940, revoked among other things the Defence (Summer Time)
Regulations, 1939. Thus the time was now one hour in advance of GMT,
being Summer Time rather than the year-round time one hour in advance
of GMT used previously, and would revert to GMT at the time specified
by the Summer Time Acts, 1922 to 1925, 2am GMT on 7 October.
Summer Time Act, 1947 (10 & 11 Geo. 6. c. 16)
Long title: An Act to amend the Summer Time Acts, 1922 and 1925.
Date of Royal Assent: 11th March 1947.
This Act amended the Summer Time Acts, 1922 and 1925, to change the
period of Summer Time in 1947 and introduce double summer time in that
year, and to provide the power for Orders in Council to vary the dates
of Summer Time in future years (from those specified by the 1922 and
1925 Acts), and to introduce double summer time in those years. It
applied to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man; Orders in Council
under the Act could make different provision for them and for the
United Kingdom. The dates specified for 1947 were Summer Time
starting on 16th March and ending 2nd November, both at 2am GMT, and
double summer time starting on 13th April and ending on 10th August,
both at 1am Greenwich mean time. (The power to have double summer
time was not used in future years.) This Act was
registered
in Jersey
(this registration including the full text of the
Act).
The Summer Time Order, 1948 (S.I. 1948/495)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 11th March 1948.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1948 a start
date for Summer Time of 14th March, and an end date of 31st October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
The Summer Time Order, 1949 (S.I. 1949/373)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 4th March 1949.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1949 a start
date for Summer Time of 3rd April, and an end date of 30th October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
The Summer Time Order, 1950 (S.I. 1950/518)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 31st March 1950.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1950 a start
date for Summer Time of 16th April, and an end date of 22nd October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
The Summer Time Order, 1951 (S.I. 1951/430)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 15th March 1951.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1951 a start
date for Summer Time of 15th April, and an end date of 21st October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
The Summer Time Order, 1952 (S.I. 1952/451)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 10th March 1952.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1952 a start
date for Summer Time of 20th April, and an end date of 26th October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time. This order is the last of this run
of Orders, so for 1953 to 1960 dates were set by the 1922 and 1925
Acts.
This order is omitted from the annual published volumes.
Long title: An Act to make provision with respect to the
operation, interpretation and citation of Acts of the Parliament of
Northern Ireland and instruments made thereunder.
Date: 21st December 1954.
Section 39(1) of this Act provides for references to times in
Northern Ireland legislation to be interpreted as referring to
Greenwich mean time, subject to any legislative provisions for a
different time to be used in Northern Ireland. This Act
does
not
repeal the Time (Ireland) Act, 1916 or the Time Act (Northern
Ireland), 1924. It came into effect on 1 January 1955. The link is
to a consolidated version; the relevant section has not been
amended.
The Summer Time Order, 1961 (S.I. 1961/71)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 17th January 1961.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1961 a start
date for Summer Time of 26th March, and an end date of 29th October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time. This is the first in a new run of
Orders.
The Summer Time (1962) Order, 1961 (S.I. 1961/2465)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 21st December 1961.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1962 a start
date for Summer Time of 25th March, and an end date of 28th October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time.
The Summer Time Order 1963 (S.I. 1963/81)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 17th January 1963.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1963 a start
date for Summer Time of 31st March, and an end date of 27th October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time.
The Summer Time (1964) Order 1963 (S.I. 1963/2101)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 20th December 1963.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1964 a start
date for Summer Time of 22nd March, and an end date of 25th October,
both at 2am Greenwich mean time.
The Summer Time Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1201)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 27th July 1964.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1965 a start
date for Summer Time of 21st March, and an end date of 24th October;
for 1966 a start date for Summer Time of 20th March, and an end date
of 23rd October; and for 1967 a start date for Summer Time of 19th
March, and an end date of 29th October, all at 2am Greenwich mean
time.
The Summer Time Order 1967 (S.I. 1967/1148)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 28th July 1967.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, gives for 1968 in the
United Kingdom and the Channel Islands a start date for Summer Time of
18th February, and an end date of 27th October; and for 1968 in the
Isle of Man a start date of 7th April, and an end date of 27th
October, all at 2am Greenwich mean time.
The Summer Time Order 1968 (S.I. 1968/117)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 26th January 1968.
This order, under the Summer Time Act, 1947, changes the dates of
Summer Time in the Isle of Man for 1968 to be the same as those in the
United Kingdom and Channel Islands.
Explanations for the different dates for this Isle of Man, and the
change by this Order to the same dates as in the UK, may be found in
the debates on this Order and the previous Order in the House of
Commons. In Commons Hansard, volume 750 column 2692, 21 July 1967,
The Minister of State, Home Office (Miss Alice Bacon) stated that
“they [the Isle of Man] wanted their summer time to begin in April”.
On 14 December 1967, volume 756 columns 757–8, The Under-Secretary of
State for the Home Department (Mr David Ennals) stated that “The Isle
of Man Government have now reversed their earlier decision”.
British Standard Time Act 1968 (1968 c. 45)
Long title: An Act to establish the time for general purposes at
one hour in advance of Greenwich mean time throughout the year.
Date of Royal Assent: 26th July 1968.
This Act provided for an experiment with a time one hour in advance
of GMT throughout the year (this time being, unusually, given a name
in the Act—“British standard time”—that name having been found, in
public surveys, to be more popular with the public than several other
names that had also been proposed). The experiment began on 27th
October 1968 (time unspecified; probably, following existing law on
interpretation of statutes, at the start of the day according to the
time previously in force, which was British Summer Time, one hour in
advance of GMT; though a comment of Lord Stonham on 23 November 1967
(Lords Hansard volume 286 column 1188) suggests GMT, this point of the
wording does not seem to have been considered in any of the
Parliamentary debates on the Bill), effectively continuing Summer Time
throughout the year, and ended at 2am Greenwich mean time on 31st
October 1971, unless it was directed (which it was not) by Order in
Council approved by both Houses of Parliament before the end of 1970
that it be made permanent. It applied to the Channel Islands and the
Isle of Man unless they made other provision by their own laws.
According to the 1989 consultation paper (Cm 722), a review of this
experiment was published as Cmnd 4512 in October 1970, the issue was
debated in the Commons on 2 December 1970, and the experiment
discontinued by a vote of 366 to 81.
It repealed the Statutes (Definition of Time) Act, 1880; the Time
(Ireland) Act, 1916; the Summer Time Act, 1922; the Time Act (Northern
Ireland), 1924; the Summer Time Act, 1925; the Summer Time Act, 1947;
and section 39(1) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland), 1954.
However, it specified that, on expiry of the experiment, these
enactments would all revive, subject to a reservation that if the Isle
of Man or the Channel Islands had made contrary provision, the terms
revived would not affect them; and an amendment changing the start of
Summer Time to the day following the third Saturday in March (or, if
that day is Easter Day, the day following the second Saturday), and
the end to the day following the fourth Saturday in October, both
staying at 2am GMT.
Manx Time Act, 1968 (17 & 18 Eliz. II, c. 23)
Long title: An Act to provide for the time in the Isle of Man.
Date passed: 20th February 1968.
Date of Royal Assent and Announced to Tynwald: 16th October 1968.
This Act of Tynwald (the Isle of Man Parliament) provided that the
time in the Isle of Man should be the same as in Great Britain. It
provided that it “shall come into operation when the Royal Assent
thereto has been by the Governor announced to Tynwald and a
certificate thereof has been signed by the Governor and the Speaker of
the House of Keys, but shall take effect on such day as the Governor
may by order appoint”. I have not seen the order that is mentioned in
this quote.
Long title: A Law to establish the time for general purposes in
the Bailiwick, sanctioned by Order of Her Majesty in Council of the
16th day of October, 1968.
Date passed: 7th May 1968.
This provided for the time in the Bailiwick of Jersey to be one
hour in advance of Greenwich mean time throughout the year (to be
known as “Jersey Standard Time”) from 27 October 1968
until 31 October 1971, the time of day being unspecified in both
cases.
Long title: An Act to consolidate the enactments relating to
summer time.
Date of Royal Assent: 10th February 1972.
This Act consolidated the provisions of previous Acts relating to
Summer Time, from the Summer Time Act, 1922 to the changes in dates
operational on expiry of the British Standard Time Act 1968. Summer
Time, with an advance of one hour from Greenwich mean time, was to
operate between those dates, remaining at 2am Greenwich mean time. It
made the same provision for change of dates and times (and for the
possible introduction of double summer time, which provision was not
used) by Order in Council as
the Summer Time Act, 1947. It applied to the whole of the United
Kingdom (subject to the Parliament of Northern Ireland retaining its
power to amend the law in this area—included in this and other Acts
by a statement that “For the purposes of section 6 of the Government
of Ireland Act 1920 this Act in its application to Northern Ireland
shall be deemed to be an Act passsed before the appointed day”), and
applied to the Isle of Man and to the Channel Islands unless other
provision was made by a law of the States of Jersey or of Guernsey or
by an Act of Tynwald, with the same provision as in 1947 that Orders
could specify different dates for each of these and for the United
Kingdom. It repealed the Summer Time Acts 1922 to 1947 and the
British Standard Time Act 1968, leaving untouched the other enactments
revived by the expiry of the British Standard Time Act 1968. It
specifically did not affect the Manx Time Act, 1968. It came into
force “at the expiration of the period of one month beginning with the
date on which it is passed”. This Act, as amended, is the current law
on Summer Time in the UK. Orders under it were used to change the
dates and times to accord with the European Directives, from 1981 to
2001. In 2002 it was amended to implement the European rules on a
permanent basis. The exclusion of Easter Day no longer seems to be a
factor.
Long title: A Law to establish the time for general purposes in
the Bailiwick during the period of summer time, sanctioned by Order of
the 22nd day of March, 1972 of the Counsellors of States on behalf of
Her Majesty.
Passed: 18th January 1972
This provided for the time in the Bailiwick of Jersey to be one
hour in advance of GMT between the day following the third Saturday in
March and the day following the the fourth Saturday in October, both
at 2am GMT, with provision that the States might vary this period in
future years or institute double summer time for part of it. Unlike
the law in the UK, no provision is made for avoiding Easter Day, but
for Easter Day to be the day following the third Saturday in March it
must be on the earliest possible date, 22 March, which last happened
in 1818 and will next happen in 2285.
Long title: An Act to make provision in connection with the
enlargement of the European Communities to include the United Kingdom,
together with (for certain purposes) the Channel Islands, the Isle of
Man and Gibraltar.
Date of Royal Assent: 17th October 1972.
This Act provided, in subsection 2(2), for legislation to be
amended by Order in Council to implement European directives.
Long title: An Act to consolidate the Interpretation Act 1889 and
certain other enactments relating to the construction and operation of
Acts of Parliament and other instruments, with amendments to give
effect to recommendations of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law
Commission.
Date of Royal Assent: 20th July 1978.
Section 9 of the Act provides for references to point of time in
Acts of Parliament to refer to Greenwich mean time, subject to the
Summer Time Act 1972, unless the Act in question specifies otherwise.
Section 23 and Schedule 2 provide that this applies to Acts and
subordinate legislation whenever passed, and to “deeds and other
instruments and documents”. It extends to Northern Ireland (whose own
Interpretation Act is limited to interpretation of Northern Ireland
legislation). It repeals the whole of the Statutes (Definition of
Time) Act, 1880. It came into force on 1st January 1979.
Published: OJ No L 205, 7.8.1980, p. 17.
This first European Directive on Summer Time specified common start
dates only (no agreement having been reached on common end dates). It
specified an advance of 60 minutes during Summer Time, a common start
time of 1am Greenwich Mean Time; and a start for 1981 of 29 March and
for 1982 for 28 March.
The Summer Time Order 1980 (S.I. 1980/1089)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 28th July 1980.
This order, under the Summer Time Act 1972, gives for 1981 a start
date for Summer Time of 29th March, and an end date of 25th October;
and for 1982 a start date of 28th March, and an end date of 24th
October, all at 1am Greenwich mean time. This, including the change
to the 1am times, implements the first European Directive. It applies
in the United Kingdom and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, but not in the
Bailiwick of Jersey or the Isle of Man which the Explanatory Note to
the order says have their own legislation on the subject.
Date: 30th September 1980
This law makes the same provision for time in Jersey as the Summer
Time Order 1980 did for the UK.
Published: OJ No L 173, 19.6.1982, p. 16.
This second European Directive on Summer Time specified common
start dates for 1983, 1984 and 1985 as the last Sunday in March, all
at 1am Greenwich Mean Time. For the end dates is specified two
different sets of dates, all at 1am Greenwich Mean Time. For Member
States not in the zero (Greenwich) time zone, the dates were 25
September for 1983, 30 September for 1984, and 29 September for 1985.
For Member States in the zero (Greenwich) time zone, the dates were 23
October for 1983, 28 October for 1984, and 27 October for 1985.
The Summer Time Order 1982 (S.I. 1982/1673)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date: 24th November 1982.
This order, under the Summer Time Act 1972, gives for 1983 a start
date for Summer Time of 27th March, and an end date of 23rd October;
for 1984 a start date of 25th March, and an end date of 28th October;
and for 1985 a start date of 31st March, and an end date of 27th
October, all at 1am Greenwich mean time. This implements the second
European Directive. It applies in the United Kingdom and the
Bailiwick of Guernsey.
This law makes the same provision for time in Jersey as the Summer
Time Order 1982 did for the UK.
Published: OJ No L 331, 19.12.1984, p. 33.
This third European Directive on Summer Time specified common start
dates for 1986, 1987 and 1988 as the last Sunday in March, all at 1am
Greenwich Mean Time. For the end dates two different sets of dates
are specified, all at 1am Greenwich Mean Time. For Member States not
in the zero (Greenwich) time zone, the dates were given by rule as the
last Sunday in September, listed as 28 September for 1986, 27
September for 1987, and 25 September for 1988. For Member States in
the zero (Greenwich) time zone, the dates were given by rule as the
fourth Sunday in October, listed as 26 October for 1986, 25 October
for 1987, and 23 October for 1988.
Published: OJ No L 372, 31.12.1985, p. 38.
This Directive amends the third European Directive, following the
accession of Spain and Portugal to the EEC, so that the October end
dates were specified for Ireland and the United Kingdom only, rather
than for states in the zero (Greenwich) time zone, since Portugal was
in that zone but was going to use the September end dates. The dates
and times were not changed.
The Summer Time Order 1986 (S.I. 1986/223)
Heading: Summer Time.
Date Made: 12th February 1986.
Date Coming into Operation: 26th February 1986.
This order, under the Summer Time Act 1972, gives for 1986 a start
date for Summer Time of 30th March, and an end date of 26th October;
for 1987 a start date of 29th March, and an end date of 25th October;
and for 1988 a start date of 27th March, and an end date of 23rd
October, all at 1am Greenwich mean time. This implements the third
European Directive. Note the 1986 start on Easter Day. It applies in
Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
This law makes the same provision for time in Jersey as the Summer
Time Order 1986 did for the UK.
Published: OJ No L 6, 9.1.1988, p. 38.
This fourth European Directive on Summer Time specified a common
start date for 1989 of Sunday 26 March, a common end date for
countries other than Ireland and the United Kingdom of Sunday 24
September, and a common end date for Ireland and the United Kingdom of
Sunday 29 October, all at 1am Greenwich Mean Time. Peter Ilieve
suggests that this only covers one year because 1989 was a year when
the UK rule of the Sunday after the fourth Saturday in October
differed from the previous EC rule of the fourth Sunday in October.
Heading: Summer Time.
Date Made: 25th May 1988.
Date Coming into force: 8th June 1988.
This order, under the Summer Time Act 1972, gives for 1989 a start
date for Summer Time of 26th March, and an end date of 29th October,
both at 1am Greenwich mean time. This implements the fourth European
Directive. Note the start on Easter Day. It applies in Great
Britain, Northern Ireland and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
This law amends the Summer Time (Jersey) Act, 1986 to make the same
provision for time in Jersey as the Summer Time Order 1988 did for the
UK.
Published: OJ No L 17, 21.1.1989, p. 57.
This fifth European Directive on Summer Time specified common start
dates for 1990, 1991 and 1992 as the last Sunday in March, all at 1am
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and listed as 25 March for 1990, 31 March
for 1991, and 29 March for 1992. For the end dates two different sets
of dates are specified, all at 1am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The
main dates were given by rule as the last Sunday in September, listed
as 30 September for 1990, 29 September for 1991, and 27 September for
1992. Ireland and the United Kingdom, however, were permitted but not
required to use October end dates; those dates were given by rule as
the fourth Sunday in October, listed as 28 October for 1990, 27
October for 1991, and 25 October for 1992.
Heading: Summer Time.
Date Made: 13th June 1989.
Date Coming into force: 28th June 1989.
This order, under the Summer Time Act 1972, gives for 1990 a start
date for Summer Time of 25th March, and an end date of 28th October;
for 1991 a start date of 31st March, and an end date of 27th October;
and for 1992 a start date of 29th March, and an end date of 25th
October, all at 1am Greenwich mean time. This implements the fifth
European Directive, using the October end dates. Note the 1991 start
on Easter Day. It applies in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the
Bailiwick of Guernsey.
This law makes the same provision for time in Jersey as the Summer
Time Order 1989 did for the UK.
Published: OJ No L 89, 4.4.1992, p. 28.
This sixth European Directive on Summer Time specified common start
dates for 1993 and 1994 as the last Sunday in March, all at 1am
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and listed as 28 March for 1993, and 27
March for 1994. For the end dates two different sets of dates are
specified, all at 1am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The main dates were
given by rule as the last Sunday in September, listed as 26 September
for 1993, and 25 September for 1994. Ireland and the United Kingdom,
however, were permitted but not required to use October end dates;
those dates were given by rule as the fourth Sunday in October, listed
as 24 October for 1993, and 23 October for 1994.
Heading: Summer Time.
Date Made: 15th July 1992.
Date Coming into force: 29th July 1992.
This order, under the Summer Time Act 1972, gives for 1993 a start
date for Summer Time of 28th March, and an end date of 24th October;
and for 1994 a start date of 27th March, and an end date of 23rd
October, all at 1am Greenwich mean time. This implements the sixth
European Directive, using the October end dates. It applies in Great
Britain, Northern Ireland and the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Date: 29th September 1992
This law makes the same provision for time in Jersey as the Summer
Time Order 1992 did for the UK.
Published: OJ No L 164, 30.6.1994, p. 1.
This seventh European Directive on Summer Time specified common
start dates for 1995, 1996 and 1997 as the last Sunday in March, all
at 1am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and listed as 26 March for 1995, 31
March for 1996, and 30 March for 1997. Common end dates had been
agreed upon from 1996. The end dates were all at 1am Greenwich Mean
Time (GMT). The main dates were given by rule as the last Sunday in
September in 1995, and the last Sunday in October in 1996 and 1997,
listed as 24 September for 1995, 27 October for 1996, and 26 October
for 1997. For Ireland and the United Kingdom, however, a different
end date for 1995 was given; that date was given by rule as the fourth
Sunday in October, listed as 22 October (this time not following the
traditional rule of the Sunday after the fourth Saturday).
Heading: Summer Time.
Date Made: 2nd November 1994.
Date Coming into force: 16th November 1994.
This order, under the Summer Time Act 1972, gives for 1995 a start
date for Summer Time of 26th March, and an end date of 22nd October;
for 1996 a start date of 31st March, and an end date of 27th October;
and for 1997 a start date of 30th March, and an end date of 26th
October, all at 1am Greenwich mean time. This implements the seventh
European Directive. Note the 1997 start on Easter Day. It applies in
Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It
explicitly revokes several previous spent orders: The Summer Time
Order 1980; The Summer Time Order 1982; The Summer Time Order 1986;
The Summer Time Order 1988; and The Summer Time Order 1989.
This law makes the same provision for time in Jersey as the Summer
Time Order 1994 did for the UK.
Published: OJ No L 206, 1.8.1997, p. 62.
This eighth European Directive on Summer Time specified common
start dates for 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 as the last Sunday in March,
all at 1am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and listed as 29 March for 1998,
28 March for 1999, 26 March for 2000, and 25 March for 2001. Common
end dates were also specified, as the last Sunday in October, all at
1am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and listed as 25 October for 1998, 31
October for 1999, 29 October for 2000, and 28 October for 2001.
Heading: Summer Time.
Date Made: 17th December 1997.
Date Coming into force: 31st December 1997.
This order, under the Summer Time Act 1972, gives for 1998 a start
date for Summer Time of 29th March, and an end date of 25th October;
for 1999 a start date of 28th March, and an end date of 31st October;
for 2000 a start date of 26th March, and an end date of 29th October;
and for 2001 a start date of 25th March, and an end date of 28th
October, all at 1am Greenwich mean time. This implements the eighth
European Directive. It applies in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and
the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It explicitly revokes two previous spent
orders: The Summer Time Order 1992 and the Summer Time Order 1994.
This law makes the same provision for time in Jersey as the Summer
Time Order 1997 did for the UK.
Published: OJ No L 31, 2.2.2001, p. 21.
This ninth European Directive on Summer Time placed the common
dates and times for Summer Time on a permanent footing. It specified
a common start time, from 2002 onwards, of 1am Greenwich Mean Time on
the last Sunday in March, and a common end time, from 2002 onwards, of
1am Greenwich Mean Time on the last Sunday in October. It provided
that a timetable of the dates this gives for the next five years
should be published every five years.
This Directive says that it is to be implemented by 31 December
2001, but the UK implemented it late.
This law specifies start and end dates, for 2002 only, of 31st
March 2002 and 27th October 2002, both at 1am GMT.
Heading: Summer Time.
Date Made: 12th February 2002.
Date Coming into force: 11th March 2002.
This order, under the European Communities Act 1972, implemented
the ninth European Directive by amending the Summer Time Act 1972. It
removed the power to vary the period of Summer Time, or provide for
Double Summer Time, by Order in Council. It changed the rules for
Summer Time to agree with the European rules on a permanent basis,
starting on the last Sunday in March and ending on the last Sunday in
October, both at 1am Greenwich mean time. It applies in Great Britain
and Northern Ireland; unlike previous orders, it does not apply in the
Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Long title: A Law to amend the Summer Time (Jersey) Law 1972;
sanctioned by Order of Her Majesty in Council of the 22nd day of May
2002.
Passed: 12th February 2002.
This law amends the Summer Time (Jersey) Law 1972 to agree with the
European rules, starting on the last Sunday in March and ending on the
last Sunday in October, both at 1am GMT. Unlike the 2002 UK Order, it
does not remove the powers to vary the period of Summer Time or to
provide for Double Summer Time. It came into effect on 1st January
2003.
Long title: An Act to repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and
make other provision in connection with the withdrawal of the United
Kingdom from the EU.
Date of Royal Assent: 26th June 2018.
This Act repealed the European Communities Act 1972, with effect
from “exit day”, while preserving the effect of EU-derived
domestic legislation. “exit day” was defined as 29 March
2019 at 11.00 p.m., subject to amendment to ensure that the definition
of exit day agreed with the time at which the Treaties were to cease
to apply to the United Kingdom.
Heading: Exiting the European Union.
Date Made: 12.40 p.m. on 28th March 2019.
Date Coming into force: immediately after being made.
These regulations amended the definition of “exit day”
to 11 p.m. on a date that might have been 12 April 2019 or 22 May
2019, depending on whether conditions specified in European Council
Decision (EU) 2019/476 of 22 March 2019 were met. Those conditions
were not met, so the date was 12 April 2019.
Heading: Exiting the European Union.
Date Made: 3.15 p.m. on 11th April 2019.
Date Coming into force: 4:15 p.m. on 11th April 2019.
These regulations amended the definition of “exit day”
to 11 p.m. on 31 October 2019.
Heading: Exiting the European Union.
Date Made: 16th August 2019.
These regulations brought section 1 of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018 into force with effect from the day after the
day on which these regulations were made.
Heading: Exiting the European Union.
Date Made: 1.06 p.m. on 30th October 2019.
Date Coming into force: 3.00 p.m. on 30th October 2019.
These regulations amended the definition of “exit day”
to 11 p.m. on 31 January 2020.
Long title: An Act to implement, and make other provision in
connection with, the agreement between the United Kingdom and the EU
under Article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union which sets out the
arrangements for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the
EU.
Date of Royal Assent: 23rd January 2020.
This Act continued the effect of the European Communities Act 1972
after exit day, with modifications, ending on “IP completion
day”, defined as 11 p.m. on 31 December 2020, subject to
amendment if required by changes to EU summer-time arrangements.
Heading: Exiting the European Union.
Date Made: 29th January 2020.
These regulations brought various provisions of the European Union
(Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 into force with effect from
immediately before exit day, including the provisions continuing the
effect of the European Communities Act 1972.
Return to
my home page
Contact:
Joseph Myers
(jsm@polyomino.org.uk)
31 January 2020