# 'Natural Person'? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 17, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166 "2012-02-17T17:53:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/1 "2012-02-17T17:53:51Z")
I’ve just been reading through a form about becoming a charity trustee. A long and dull process. I’m a tad confused by one of the points though: _8.1 A Trustee must be a natural person aged 18 years or older._ What unnatural people are they referring to, d’you reckon? I’ve always found identical twins a bit… y’know… spooky… myself. It’s basically cloning, isn’t it. Never seemed quite natural. 😉 Any other suggestions? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/2 "2012-02-17T18:01:47Z")
Not a corporation, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/3 "2012-02-17T18:07:42Z")
Not an android, not a clone, nothing supernatural, or maybe just one of those people who live in a tent and only eat raw vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/4 "2012-02-17T18:13:40Z")
Free range. No artificial preservatives. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/5 "2012-02-17T18:13:54Z")
You have to know either Aretha Franklin or Carole King. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/6 "2012-02-17T18:16:18Z")
A person born of another ‘natural’ person. It can continue as far back as you wish it to. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/7 "2012-02-17T18:26:02Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > You have to know either Aretha Franklin or Carole King. But only if you’re a woman. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/8 "2012-02-17T18:35:32Z")
Does [this guy](http://zippythepinhead.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=natural1&Category_Code=ugcomix&Product_Count=18)qualify? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/9 "2012-02-17T18:47:11Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > But only if you’re a woman. OK. Rod Stewart even. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/10 "2012-02-17T18:47:46Z")
Only available to Robert Redford. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/11 "2012-02-17T19:27:52Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Not a corporation, for instance. They possibly did mean this, but this is the UK- so far as I know, we don’t ‘do’ corporate personhood here… ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/12 "2012-02-17T19:44:04Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > They possibly did mean this, but this is the UK- so far as I know, we don’t ‘do’ corporate personhood here… Sure we do. Corporations can enter into contracts, be sued and [charged with manslaughter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Herald_of_Free_Enterprise#Investigation_and_inquiry). Apparently they can’t be a trustee of a charity, though. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/13 "2012-02-17T19:47:23Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > They possibly did mean this, but this is the UK- so far as I know, we don’t ‘do’ corporate personhood here… Not sure where you get an idea like that. Britain practically invented the concept. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/14 "2012-02-17T19:53:28Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > They possibly did mean this, but this is the UK- so far as I know, we don’t ‘do’ corporate personhood here… Here’s an article discussing how a corporation can be on the board of directors of another corporation in the UK (my apologies if you’re not a Guardian reader): > **[UK company law is terrorism's friend | Prem Sikka](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jan/20/uk-company-law-terrorism)** > > Prem Sikka: By prioritising laissez-faire ideology over public safety, Britain is helping al-Qaida et al to move cash through the banking network ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/15 "2012-02-17T21:03:36Z")
Fair enough- I’ve only heard the term used describing US policies, though yep, it looks like we have the same concept, if they don’t tend to complain about it using quite the same language. Ignorance fought. 🙂 I still prefer the more… interesting interpretations though 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natural-person/613166/16 "2012-02-17T21:24:25Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Fair enough- I’ve only heard the term used describing US policies, though yep, it looks like we have the same concept, if they don’t tend to complain about it using quite the same language. That’s because most people talking about don’t have a clue as to what it actually is how it actually works. [Even on this MB.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=642310)