Judge rules name change for 9-year-old girl
July 28, 2008 by Andy Merrett · Leave a Comment
A New Zealand judge has ordered that the parents of nine-year-old “Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii” must change her name to something without a heavy embarrassment factor attached to it.
Family court judge Rob Murfitt quite correctly stated that highly bizarre names create social hurdles as children grow up, and it’s not much better in adult life either.
“She fears being mocked and teased and in that she has a greater level of insight than either of her parents,” he said of the girl, who was known to her friends simply as “K”.
Two other weird names given to children were “Number 16 Bus Shelter” and “Midnight Chardonnay”, possibly in reference to a time or place of conception, but far less classy than the Beckhams’ son Brooklyn, named for the same reason.
One child was called “Violence”, while two pairs of twins were called Benson and Hedges. and Fish and Chips. Yet another family named their kids after six-cylinder Ford cars.
Naming your child after a pizza is one thing, but this sort of naming is just ridiculous.
(Via Yahoo! News)
Pennsylvania parents reminded of safe haven law
August 18, 2007 by Andy Merrett · Leave a Comment
Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare yesterday reminded expectant and new parents that the State has a “Safe Haven” law which allows them legally and confidentially to ‘turn over’ unwanted infants to any hospital, up to 28 days old, as an alternative to abandonment.
While it sounds a very harsh way of putting things, it’s much kinder to both mother and baby in a situation where they feel they simply cannot keep the child, to be able to hand the baby, unharmed, to a responsible organisation without fear of prosecution.
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UK Law Commission calls for more rights for unwed couples
July 31, 2007 by Andy Merrett · Leave a Comment
A report by the Law Commission calls for unwed couples to have more legal rights.
It claims that most couples living together still believe they are protected by a “common law” marriage, when in fact this isn’t true.
The report calls for a financial value to be put on the contribution each person brings to the relationship. This would mean that financial compensation would be given to someone who gives up work to look after children, if the relationship ends.
The Commission denies that their proposals undermine marriage. Earlier this month the Conservative party called for a number of financial incentives for married couples. The two proposals aren’t mutually exclusive.
