Week - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition week

Definition :

Week, in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (Third Edition), the word 'week' has been described as meaning 'the cycle of seven days, recognized in the calendar of the Jews and thence adopted in the calendar of Christian, Moham-medan and various other peoples. A space of seven days, irrespective of the time from which it is reckoned. Seven days as a term for periodical payments (of wages, rent, or the like), or as a unit of reckoning for time of work or service'. In Webster's New World Dictionary (1962 Edition), the meaning of the word 'week' is given as 'a period of seven days, especially one beginning with Sunday and ending with Saturday; the hours or days of work in a seven-day period'. In Stroud's Judicial Dictionary (Third Edition), it is stated that '(1) though a week usually means any consecutive seven days, it will sometimes be interpreted to mean the ordinary notion of a week reckoning from Sunday to Sunday and (2) probably, a week usually means seven clear days'. A 'week' according a Halsbury's Laws of England (Third Edition) Volume 37 at p. 84 is strictly the time between midnight on Saturday and the same hour on the next succeeding Saturday, but the term is also applied to any period of seven successive days. Bearing in mind the above mentioned dictionary or popular meaning of the the term 'week', we think that in the context of sub-ss. (1) and (3) of s. 5 of the Act, the term has to be taken to signify a cycle of seven days including Sundays, B. Shah v. Presiding Officer, AIR 1978 SC 12 (16): (1977) 4 SCC 384: (1978) 1 SCR 701. [Maternity Benefits Act, 1961, s. 5 (1) (3)]

Means a period of seven days beginning at midnight on Saturday night or such other night as may be approved in writing for a particular area by the Inspector. [Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 (61 of 1986), s. 2 (ix)]

Means a period of seven days, beginning at midnight on Saturday. [Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 (32 of 1966), s. 2 (p)]

Means a period of seven days beginning at midnight on Saturday night or such other night as may be fixed by the State Government in relation to plantations in any area after such consultation as may be prescribed with reference to the plantations concerned in that area. [Plantations Labour Act, 1951 (69 of 1951), s. 3(j)]

1. A period of seven consecutive days beginning on either Sunday or Monday

2. Any consecutive seven-day period, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 1588.

Means a period of seven days beginning at midnight on Saturday. [Weekly Holidays Act, 1942 (18 of 1942), s. 2(f)]

It is strictly the time between midnight on Saturday and the same hour on the next succeeding Saturday, but the term is also applied to any period of seven successive days. The term 'week' has to be taken to signify a cycle of seven days including Sundays, B. Shah v. Presiding Officer, Labour Court, AIR 1978 SC 12: 1977 Lab IC 1847.