Woman Warned Over Court Bid to Change Name to Jesus Christ, Risks Being Banned from Further Litigation

The bizarre case of a woman seeking to change her name on her birth certificate to Jesus Christ has left a judge warning her of potential consequences if she continues to bring frivolous claims to court.

Michelle Andrea Derrig, now known as Michelle Andrea Hargreaves, made the unusual request last November, claiming that she had been wrongly named and that she was reborn of water and spirit from the living god in Jesus Christ. However, Judge Hodge QC dismissed her application as ‘arrant nonsense’ and ‘totally without merit’.

In his written judgment in the case of Hargreaves v The District Probate Court, Judge Hodge QC expressed his confusion over the claimant’s reliance on the Cestui Que Vie Act 1666, a statute related to property held on trust, stating that he was ‘totally unable to see the relevance of that statute to the present claim’.

Despite only one application being made in this case, Judge Hodge QC warned Hargreaves that any further claims or applications of a similar nature could result in a civil restraint order being imposed against her. He emphasized that the court may find it necessary to restrict her ability to bring further litigation if she continues to pursue baseless claims.

The judge ultimately struck out the claim form and dismissed Hargreaves’ application to set aside the order, stating that there was no evidence to suggest that her birth was incorrectly registered.

The unusual case serves as a reminder of the importance of bringing legitimate claims to court and the potential consequences of pursuing frivolous litigation.