AGLC4 Rule 1.11.4: Spans of Dates and Times

Year spans give the first year in full and the last two digits of the second, unless the century changes. Spans of dates in one month keep both day numbers; spans across months or between full dates use a spaced en dash. Time spans with am or pm use a spaced en dash and show am or pm on each time, while 24 hour spans and timestamp spans use an unspaced en dash. A date shared by both times is given once, different dates are each given in full, and a time zone may be added at the end.

AGLC4 page 32

Formatting

  • Years: first year in full, unspaced en dash, last two digits of the second year; the second year in full if it is in a different century.
  • Days in the same month: both day numbers in full (never shortened), unspaced en dash, then the month.
  • Dates in different months, or two full dates: spaced en dash.
  • Times with am or pm: spaced en dash, and each time carries its own am or pm.
  • Both times on the same day: give the date once, then a comma and the time span.
  • Times on different dates: each date written in full with its time, joined by a spaced en dash, even within one month.
  • 24 hour time spans: unspaced en dash.
  • Spans between two timestamps: unspaced en dash.
  • A time zone may be added after the end of the span.

Not

Quoted from the Guide, page 32
  • 21–2
    day numbers in a date span are never shortened
  • 1 – 3:05am
    each time in a span must carry am or pm

Forms in the rule

Quoted from the Guide, page 32
  • ‘2001–08’
  • ‘1999–2010’
  • ‘21–22 September’
  • ‘1 January – 29 February’
  • ‘21 January 2016, 12am – 3pm’
  • ‘21 January, 12am – 23 January, 3pm’

Examples of spans of dates and times

Quoted from the Guide, page 32
1986–87
1999–2009
21–22 September [Not: 21–2]
7 May, 9am ET – 9 May, 6pm ET
1 January – 29 February 1996
22 March 1946 – 27 August 1947
4 May, 6:35am – 11:55pm EST
0:00:45–1:05:01
1am – 3:05am [Not: 1 – 3:05am]
02:00–14:00
3:55am – 2:10pm
0:04:00–0:59:00

See also

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Formats, examples, passages, tables and the forms marked Not are quoted from the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th ed, Melbourne University Law Review Association, 2018), with the page of the Guide they appear on. Titles, summaries and explanations are our own.