UTC as basis for time legislation

Clive D.W. Feather clive at davros.org
Mon Sep 26 12:58:24 UTC 2011


Steve Allen said:
> > So if country A says its legal time is an hour ahead of GMT and B says they are an hour ahead of UTC, those are technically different statements.  However, to the approximation of tzdata, the outcome is the same: both country A and B would be shown in the tzdata file as having an offset of 60 minutes.
> > Is that correct?

It is correct at present. tzdata doesn't bother with the difference.

> It is correct under ITU-R TF.460-6.
> It will not remain true if the draft revision to that document is
> approved in its current form at the Radiocommunication Assembly
> next January.

If this happens, then GMT and UTC will start to drift apart. The point at
which the tzdata files will take notice of this has not yet been decided
(or discussed, I think).

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather          | If you lie to the compiler,
Email: clive at davros.org     | it will get its revenge.
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