Mentzen Case
Latvia Constitutional Court
Case No. 2001-04-0103 (2001)
- Written by Kelly Simon, JD
Facts
The Latvian Language Law required that personal names be spelled in the Latvian language. Under the Regulations on Spelling and Identification of Names and Surnames of Cabinet Ministers, any name or surname of a foreign origin would be spelled using Latvian letters and sounds. In 1998, Juta Mentzen (plaintiff), a Latvian citizen, married in Germany. Mentzen applied for a Latvian passport with her married surname spelled as “Mentzen.” When issued, Mentzen’s surname was spelled “Mencena” in accordance with Latvian phonetics. Mentzen’s married last name, with its original German spelling, was included on Mentzen’s passport in a section for notes. After Mentzen experienced problems when traveling internationally using her Latvian passport, Mentzen challenged the name regulations of the Latvian government (defendant) as unconstitutional. Mentzen argued that Article 96 of the Latvian constitution created a right to privacy, which included the spelling of Mentzen’s surname.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Per curiam)
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