Letter to my MP — proposed changes to name change laws

There’s word going round that there are plans to change the laws regarding how we can change our names in a way that would essentially remove all privacy from the process and mean that anyone could look up whether someone had changed their name and what their old name was.

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EDIT: I got just got this response, surprisingly quickly! The fact that she didn’t know anything about it suggests it’s in very early stages and we have lots of time to object:

Thank you for getting in touch about proposed changes to name change laws. I was not aware of these plans and am grateful to you for making me aware of them. I will make a note of this and be sure to monitor the situation.

Please let me know if you have any further concerns or feedback.

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A few days ago I saw people posting about the government’s response to a petition calling for people on the sex offender’s register to not be able to change their names by deed poll. The response seems to be saying that there is already a plan to change the law so that only registered deed polls can be used to change the name on official documents such as passports. The issue with this is that when registering a deed poll you have to publish your change of name on a public register, which basically means anyone can look it up. Obviously this is terrible news for lots of people but particularly trans folk. It basically completely removes all privacy we currently have in terms of changing our names. But as far as I can tell this is currently only a proposal, which means now is the time to object, contact your MP and make sure it doesn’t just slip by.

Here is the letter I just sent to mine — she’s not exactly sympathetic to trans rights so I focused on the dangers to victims of DV as well as the issue of general privacy rather than how it would affect trans folk. I suggest you tailor your own message to your MP to what you think would encourage them to support you the most!

I am writing to you as a member of your constituency regarding the response to the petition to Parliment titled “Revoke the right of registered sex offenders to change their name by deed poll” (linked here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/300705). The response states that “…we intend to also amend our existing Home Office guidance so that only enrolled deed polls (…) are accepted as a proof of name change”. I’m very concerned that if this went ahead it would create difficult or dangerous situations for many people and it would mean a huge loss of privacy. Those who have been victims of domestic violence or other victimisation, transgender people, and anyone else who wouldn’t want any member of the general public to be able to associate them with their old name by searching the public record would have this right stripped from them if this were to pass.

I understand that there needs to be a way to make sure sex offenders don’t disappear from police awarenes by changing their name, but I feel like there must be a more efficient and focused way to do this that doesn’t remove the right to privacy for the general public or put people in danger.

There is also no mention in the response as to how this would affect the status of statutory declarations and whether these would still be allowed to be used for name changes if this were to pass into law — presumably they would not be allowed to use as evidence of a change of name either?

These proposed changes would represent a fundamental change in the legal status of people’s names in this country, and I’m concerned that the response to the petition is implying that this is a decision that has already been made without consulting the general public or taking into account everyone it would affect.

I hope to hear back from you about this soon,

Thanks,