[ID] 8 [Location] 4.2.5.5 Specifying the document's character encoding [Subject] Allow utf-16 encoding declarations [Comment] Currently you are not allowed to use or the equivalent pragma directive in utf-16 encoded documents. While logically it is not needed to identify the character encoding, it introduces a special case for authors to remember, and almost certainly many authors will be unaware that this is disallowed and will do it. In addition, in-document declarations of this kind are particularly useful for developers, testers, or translation production managers who want to visually check the encoding of a document (since the bom cannot be seen). Furthermore, there would appear to be no risk incurred by allowing this, since the document would be encoded in utf-16 anyway. Note that the ask is not that the encoding of the document be determined by the meta element - the bom remains the way of determining that information - solely that no error or warning be raised if the meta element is used. Please make an exception in the spec for utf-16 so that it is allowed to use or the equivalent pragma directive in utf-16 encoded documents. [Owner] RI [WG] - [8] EditDelete [Ed. / Subs.] 
E
S
E