When the maternity legislation was introduced in 1984, a very different scenario pertained. No other regulations existed to protect pregnant women then and things have changed greatly now. At that time there was probably some wise old man in the Department of Justice who felt it was important to oblige women to take at least four weeks off before having their babies in order to protect them as much as possible. A woman entitled to 14 weeks maternity leave must take four weeks before having the baby. Nobody thought about the fact that many babies do not arrive on time and can come two weeks late.