Opinions differ on the value of adding a comma to remove ambiguity in sentences such as this: “I would like to thank my parents, Mother Teresa and the pope”. The Maine Legislative Drafting Manual advised against the comma. But one law that followed the advice remained ambiguous. One employer found it affected 75 staff who brought a class action (estimated value $10 million). The first decision has just been reversed on appeal. The appeal judgment began: “For the want of a comma, we have this dispute”.
Thanks to Marco Stella and Daniel Rosenberg for sending me this item.
O’Connor v Oakhurst Dairy No 16-1901 (1st Cir 2017), 13 March 2017, reported in Lack of Oxford Comma Could Cost Maine Company Millions in Overtime Dispute, New York Times, 16 March 2017
