Criminals in Latvia will be given the right to change their first and last name

The Ministry of Justice has submitted to the government amendments to the law “On changing the name, surname and record of citizenship”, proposing to establish that persons convicted of a criminal offense, whose conviction has not been expunged or expunged, also have the right to change their name and surname as established by law ok.

The procedure for changing first and last names is established by the Law “On Changing First Names, Last Names and Citizenship Records.” According to paragraph 1 of Article 8 of the Law, a decision to refuse to change the first and last name is made if the person has been convicted of a criminal offense and the criminal record has not been expunged or removed. Thus, a person who has been imprisoned or served a sentence but the conviction has not been expunged or expunged cannot legally change their name.

However, the law does not prevent such persons from getting married and, accordingly, changing their surname.

Having assessed the existing regulatory regulation in relation to persons convicted of a criminal offense and the possibility of obtaining information regarding a criminal record in cases provided for by regulations, it was determined that the currently existing restriction needs to be revised.