“施行”在一些英美国家的现行法律条文当中，经常使用 “shall take effect”或“shall become effective”，例如：

   例1: This Amendment shall take effect from the date set out below: The revised Determinations I to X shall take effect from 1 April 2002 .

这是英国有关卫生法规当中关于施行日期的规定。

   例 2 ： Except as provided in paragraph (2), parts A and B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as amended by title I, shall take effect upon the enactment of this Act .

这是美国关于保障残疾人士享受接受教育权利的法规中关于施行日期的规定。

   例 3 ： Except as provided in paragraphs (4) and (5) below, the prohibition contained in paragraph (2) above shall take effect on the date of promulgation of regulations containing criteria under paragraph (1) or on the date of approval of the state solid waste plan under§4007 of RCRA> 42 U.S.C. §6947, whichever is later.

这是美国德拉华州立法当中关于某项禁止性规定从何时开始生效的规定。

   例 4 ： This title shall become effective on November 1,1940.

出自于美国的 Investment Advisers Act of 1940 。

   关于如何撰写施行日期这一条款，在美国康涅狄格州的立法人员所使用的立法起草指南（ legislative drafting manual ）中有这样一句话：Budget-related bills and bills containing appropriations are usually given effective dates of July, which is the start of the state’s fiscal year. The standard wording is “This act shall take effect July 1,2000.” 。

在法律英语中，除了表达命令或义务外，“shall” 还可以用来表示立法机关就某一法律规定所做的某种宣示。因此，在 “ 施行 ” 条文中所使用的 “shall” 可以也应当理解为立法机关就该法律法规的生效时间所做的明确宣示。

从什么时间开始生效施行的表达  

come into force as of…

come into force as from…

become effective as of…

   在英美法律语言的实践当中，诸如 “come into effect as of…” ， “enter into force as from…”,“become effective as from…” 这样的搭配都大量存在。《韦氏第三新国际词典》（ Websters’Third New International Dictionary ）中对 as of 的释义是 “at or on (a specific time or date)”，并举有一例： the rule takes effect as of July 1 。

   第四版《牛津高级英汉双解词典》（ Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary ）中对 as from 和 as of 的解释是： as from, esp US as of (indicating the time or date from which sth starts) 指某事物开始的时间或日期。

   由牛津大学出版社出版的Fowler’s Modern English Usage 被认为是一部 “standard work on the correct but natural use of English”, 那么它对 as from 的用法是如何解释的呢？请看： as from etc. An agreement, especially one for an increase of pay, is often said to come into effect as from a certain date 。

   这些例证说明， as from 或 as of 所表示的并不是一个时间段，而只是表示某一动作或行为开始的时间点。

  take force on… 和 come into force from… 这些搭配举例：

   例 1 ：在英国议院的下议院日常辩论记录中有这样一句话：

Authority and the shadow ITC that they will not tolerate the sort of codes and guidelines that are beginning to appear, and which may multiply and take force on 1 January.

   例 2 ： 1997 年 3 月，在瑞士和美国两国政府就简化引渡程序达成协议后，瑞士联邦司法和警察部发布了相关消息，其中有这样一句话：

 The new treaty will take force on 10 September 1997.

   例 3 ： The first duties under DDA Part 4 (to make reasonable adjustments) come into force from 1 September 2002.

这是英国一份介绍 The Disability Discrimination Act 2001 何时生效的法律文件中的内容。

   例 4 ： Following the adoption of the Insurance Mediation Directive (IMD) by the European Parliament Ruth Kelly, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, today confirmed that the regulation of mortgages and general insurance will come into force from October 2004.

这是英国财政部在 2002 年 8 月 16 日发布的一条消息中一段。