Daily Northern

Nordic News, Every Day

Menu

Concerns raised over Iceland’s naming laws following name change by Mohamad Kourani

Tuesday 23rd 2024 on 18:12 in  
Iceland

The chair of the General and Education Affairs Committee has raised concerns regarding Iceland’s naming laws following Mohamad Kourani’s recent decision to change his surname to Th. Jóhannesson. Bryndís Haraldsdóttir emphasized the significance of individuals’ rights to change their names.

“This raises questions about whether we should review the legislation, and everything suggests that we should at first glance,” she stated when asked if Kourani’s situation warrants an examination of naming laws in Iceland. Reports indicated that Kourani’s name change had been registered in the national registry.

Bryndís plans to gather information on the frequency of such name changes and the regulations in neighboring countries. She intends to discuss the matter with the Minister of Justice, Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, at the next parliamentary session. “I know she has initiated certain discussions within her ministry, and I intend to emphasize that this should be reviewed in the fall,” she added. There is also a possibility that the matter will be taken up in her committee.

The chair expressed concerns about individuals misusing the right to change names, particularly among those with a criminal background. Bryndís affirmed the importance of this right, stating, “It is a legal and normal right for people to change their name at least once.” She also suggested that the right to change names could potentially be linked to citizenship status, raising questions about the implications for foreign nationals.

While Bryndís acknowledged the need to examine all aspects of this issue, she believes it would be challenging to limit this right based on criminal convictions without contravening constitutional rights.

Source 
(via ruv.is)