Swedish couple demand right to name baby 'Q'

Now pay attention, Supreme Administrative Court

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 6th May 2009 12:58 GMT

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A Swedish couple's battle to name their son "Q" will shortly arrive on appeal at the Supreme Administrative Court, aka Regeringsrätten, which will determine if current regs allow single-letter first names.

The parents insist the sprog is not named in honour of the James Bond gadgetmeister, but is rather the victim of a wayward, last-minute decision. This didn't much impress the powers that be, who ruled Q offside.

The couple's appeal filing explains that the unfortunate infant "answers to the name which they have used since birth", adding: "He is quite simply Q with half of the inhabitants of the Åre area. There are stranger names in the valley."

In order to avoid falling foul of a possible single-letter ban, mum and dad have offered an alternative spelling for the court's consideration: "Q:u".

It's just as well for the Swedish legal system that crime in the sun-kissed Scandinavian paradise is restricted to occasional pop pineapple mashing, because it evidently spends around 90 per cent of its time tackling Qs, Dark Knights, Elvis and Metallica. ®

Bootnote

Thanks to Mike Richards for the tip-off. Regarding "stranger names in the valley", Mike notes: "Sadly the article doesn't say what those could be but it does give the impression that Åre is the Royston Vasey of Jämtland."

Non-Blighty readers unacquainted with Royston Vasey should seek enlightenment here.

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