Dutch Court Rejects 69-Year-Old Man’s Plea to Change Legal Age & Be 20 Years Younger
Ratelband failed to convince the court that he suffers from age discrimination. In a written ruling, the Dutch Court rejected his plea to change his legal age.
A Netherland resident and Dutch motivational speaker, Emile Ratelband might feel that he is 49, but the law does not, and he still is 69-year-old. Ratelband plea to shave 20 years off his life drew worldwide attention earlier in November. The 69-year-old pensioner cited that he can be ‘younger’ for female suitors and argued if one is allowed to change their name and gender then he should be permitted to change his age too. He is free to feel 49, but reportedly the Dutch court cannot amend his date of birth. Wanting a Perfect Tinder Profile 69-Year-Old Dutch Man Wants to Become 20 Years Younger Legally to Impress Women.
Arnhem Court is a press release stated, “Mr. Ratelband is at liberty to feel 20 years younger than his real age and to act accordingly. But amending his date of birth would cause 20 years of records to vanish from the register of births, deaths, marriages and registered partnerships. This would have a variety of undesirable legal and societal implications.” In the written ruling, the court further stated that the Dutch law assigns rights and obligations based on age, “such as the right to vote and the duty to attend school. If Mr. Ratelband’s request was allowed, those age requirements would become meaningless.”
It said that Ratelband failed to convince the court that he suffers from age discrimination. The court acknowledged a trend in society for people to feel fit and healthy and younger, but it cannot be regarded as a valid argument for amending a person’s date of birth. The written ruling further added, “there are other alternatives available for challenging age discrimination, rather than amending a person’s date of birth.”
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 04, 2018 12:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).