Legislation Act 2019

Interpretation and application of legislation - Time and distance

54: When periods start and end

You could also call this:

"How to work out when time periods start and end in the law"

When legislation talks about a period of time, you need to know how to calculate it. If it says a period starts at, on, or with a certain day, it includes that day. If it says a period starts from or after a certain day, it does not include that day.

If a period is described as being within a certain number of days of or after a day, it does not include that day. If it says a period ends by, on, at, or with a certain day, it includes that day. If it says a period continues to or until a certain day, it includes that day.

If a period ends before a certain day, it does not include that day. If a period is a number of days between two events, it does not include the days the events happen. You can find more information about this in the Legislation Act 2019 and compare it to the 1999 No 85 s 35(1)–(5).

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This page was last updated on 24 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS39272.

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Part 2Interpretation and application of legislation
Time and distance

54When periods start and end

If legislation refers to a period described in the following way, the period must be calculated according to the following corresponding rule:

The following table is small in size and has 3 columns. Column 1 is headed Item, column 2 is headed If the period is described as, and Column 3 is headed then the period
Item	If the period is described as:	then the period:
1	starting at, on, or with a specified day, act, or event	includes that day or the day of the act or event
2	starting from or after a specified day, act, or event	does not include that day or the day of the act or event
3	being within a specified number of days of or after a specified day, act, or event	does not include that day or the day of the act or event
4	ending by, on, at, or with a specified day, act, or event	includes that day or the day of the act or event
5	continuing to or until a specified day, act, or event	includes that day or the day of the act or event
6	ending before a specified day, act, or event	does not include that day or the day of the act or event
7	a number of days between 2 specified events	does not include the days on which the events happen

Examples

Item 1: If the legislation states that a permission begins on the first day of a financial year, the permission is in force on that day.

Item 2: If the legislation states that a variation of an agreement operates from 30 June, the variation starts to operate on 1 July.

Item 3: If the legislation states that public notice must be given within 10 days of adopting a constitution and the constitution is adopted on 1 August, the notice must be given by the close of 11 August.

Item 4: If the legislation states that a right to make a submission ends on 30 June, the submission may still be made on 30 June.

Item 5: If the legislation states that a permission continues until 30 March, the permission is still in force on 30 March.

Item 6: If the legislation states that a statement must be filed before the start of the next financial year, the statement must be filed on 30 June, not 1 July.

Item 7: If the legislation states that the period between sending a draft decision document to submitters for comments and finalising the decision must be at least 10 working days, do not count the day on which the draft is sent or the day on which the decision is finalised.

Compare

1999 No 85 s 35(1)–(5)