“The Home Secretary’s record on private information … displays a reckless disregard for the privacy of other people’s confidential information, matched with a determination to keep Government data just as secret as he or the Government choose at any one time. The Labour party believes that the balance should be struck differently and that it is the individual who needs protection in two ways. First, private information relevant to him or her should be protected against the state, and secondly, information possessed by the state that might result in detriment to the individual should be made available to that individual.”
– Roy Hattersley, Data Protection Bill debate, House of Commons 1983
Under English law, what dictates that you must have a name?
At first glance it seems like a stupid question: of course you have to have a name. But do you? And if so, from when?
You don’t get given a name the instant you’re born, so there’s obviously some length of time during which you’re entitled not to have one. My first thought was that it was to do with the birth being registered, which is controlled by the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953. However, although all births must be registered within 42 days, there is no obligation to register a name at that time. At any time during the first 12 months the Registrar can add a name to the original record.
And although it might be possible to infer from this that you must therefore have to have a name by the end of your first year of life, it doesn’t actually say so. So if it’s a legal requirement it must come from somewhere else.
But where?
Suggestions welcome.
Today, within minutes of each other, I received two emails.
The first, from LoveFilm, opened: “Dear {CUSTOMER_INFO_FIRST_NAME}”.
The second, from Easyjet, greeted me: “NAME: [[Firstname]] [[Surname]]”.
Doesn’t anyone pay attention any more?
