[LEAPSECS] Do lawyers care (know) about leap seconds?

Gerard Ashton ashtongj at comcast.net
Tue Sep 30 14:44:27 EDT 2014


I think lots of contracts for the use of computers where time matters, such
as online auction sites, contain language that the parties agree to use the
time as maintained on a particular computer system, such as the electronic
auction site's computers.

-----Original Message-----
From: LEAPSECS [mailto:leapsecs-bounces at leapsecond.com] On Behalf Of Hal
Murray
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2014 2:23 PM
To: leapsecs at leapsecond.com
Cc: Hal Murray
Subject: [LEAPSECS] Do lawyers care (know) about leap seconds?

.
.
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How many contracts worry about seconds?

I think it's common for contracts to start one minute before or after
midnight to avoid an English language ambiguity.  Things like "midnight
Monday" might be the midnight at the start of Monday or the midnight at the
end of Monday so contracts usually use 00:01 or 23:59.  A bit of googling
found a web page describing that, but I don't know what they teach in law
schools.

Do other languages have the same problem?  How many languages have a simple
and unambigious way to say "midnight at the end of xxx"?


-- 
These are my opinions.  I hate spam.



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