Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to introduce Bill 13, Change of Name Act. This bill replaces the current Change of Name Act.
The bill transfers administrative responsibility for change of name from the court to the registrar general of vital statistics, Department of Health and Social Services. This change will give NWT residents the ability to request a legal change of name through an administrative process that is easy to understand and follow, similar to that in other Canadian jurisdictions.
In keeping with the Human Rights Act of the Northwest Territories, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, provisions in the bill give equal rights to both married and common-law spouses to assume their spouse's name without application under the act. These provisions are important to avoid discrimination against those in common-law relationships, including spouses in same-sex unions.
Applications involving children will be more efficient and economical. An applicant can jointly request that the names of minor children also be changed rather than having to submit separate applications for each child. Any application to change the name of a minor child will require the consent of the other parents, and an application to the Supreme Court will be necessary to dispense with this consent if doing so would be in the best interest of the child.
The bill also provides for two levels of appeal if an applicant or any person wishes to object or appeal a decision made by the registrar general, including an opportunity to appeal to the court if necessary.
This bill includes stricter measures to address identity theft and other security concerns to bring the act in line with current and emerging practices in other jurisdictions. For example, name changes will be published in the Northwest Territories Gazette, and notification of name changes will be given to authorities such as the RCMP. The bill defines acceptable identification for determining the identity of an applicant, and applicants will be required to surrender certain identification with their application to reduce the changes of individuals having primary identification in more than one name. There are also provisions that will allow confidential name changes to protect the safety of certain applicants.
That concludes my opening remarks. I would be pleased to answer any questions Members may have.