Section 10 – References to time of day
77.Section 10 provides that a reference to a particular time of day (such as 2pm or 2am) is a reference to Greenwich mean time, except during the period when British summer time applies, when the reference is to British summer time (that is, the time fixed for general purposes during the period of summer time by section 1 of the Summer Time Act 1972).
78.The effect of this section is subject to paragraph (a) of the exception in section 4(1), but not to paragraph (b) of that exception. The result is that section 10 will apply to a reference to the time of day unless legislation expressly provides that the reference is not to Greenwich mean time or (in summer) British summer time. This might arise in a provision which needs to refer to the time outside the United Kingdom. This section is equivalent to section 9 of the 1978 Act.
