Emile Ratelband - the Dutch 69-year-old who wanted to be legally recognised as being 49 years old - has lost his case.
A few weeks ago we reported this story. There has now been a judgment.
The court rejected Mr Ratelband’s case. It was not convinced by Mr Ratelband’s arguments that it should create new case law. To do so would render meaningless all legal rights and duties which depend upon someone’s age. The court said that Mr Ratelband had failed to sufficiently substantiate his claim of age discrimination.
“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.”