The Ministry has submitted this proposal to amend the law "to ensure a consistent approach and equal treatment of persons serving a sentence in a penitentiary institution".
At present, people in prison can change their surname, but only if they marry and take the surname of their spouse. Thus, despite the general prohibition, a change of surname is possible in certain cases. TM considers that the current legal framework does not provide a basis for a consistent approach and equal treatment.
The Ministry emphasizes that the integration of the State registers (State information systems) allows obtaining information on a person's criminal record even if the person has changed his or her name or surname. Also in the case of a change of name and surname under the procedure laid down by law, information on the change of name and surname is included in the Register of Natural Persons.
According to the information gathered by the Ministry of Justice, the name and surname of a convicted person can be changed, for example, in Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Germany, and Croatia.