Name changer

In 2001, after years of using his stepfather’s surname, a man decided to revert to his original birth surname. He was issued a short-form Ontario birth certificate reflecting the change. But 12 years later, when he requested a long-form version, it still showed the stepfather’s surname – and officials at the Registrar General’s office told him there was no record of his 2001 name change. He sought our help because his child’s birth registration, as well as all of his legal documents (including his passport, driver’s licence and marriage certificate) used his birth surname. The Registrar General’s office initially responded that the 2001 short-form certificate had been issued in error, and it could not legally change the man’s name. But when Ombudsman staff escalated the case to senior officials, noting that he man had used the 2001 certificate in good faith for 12 years, they confirmed they could amend his records and provided him with new long- and short-form certificates with his birth name.

Read about how we helped other people in our Selected cases.