Discussion Should suicide be Illegal?

[JustLosingMyself]

It used to be illegal pretty much everywhere. Doesn't mean it's a criminal offense.
You had the bizarre situation in the 19th century) UK where the attempted suicide was promptly prosecuted for attempting murder, and then was executed by hanging (beheading for the nobility), granting the persons wish.

In some countries all the assets of the suicide were confiscated, leaving the family to starve.

Violence towards the individual is/was seen as the sole prerogative of the state, and the state attempts brutally to protect that prerogative by adding punishment, stigmatision and humiliation to tragedy.
Despite that, despair still drove people to suicide.

Suicide and suicide attempts are tragedies already. What good is served by persecuting the poor souls who resort to it out of despair, and/their traumatised families?

Forgiveness, help and support are far more useful and effective. People will be lost along the way, not all will be helped, not all want to be helped. We need to accept that

 

[Roger]

No or course it shouldn't. Whoever said it was illegal in the US and UK, I seriously doubt that but I'm not familiar with the laws there.

As @GoodPersonEffed said, if a government wants to prevent suicides by making them illegal they would have to punish the survivers (both attempt survivors and the remaining family). This has been done throughout history and us still practiced in third world shitholes.

Now what I think is that not only should suicide be perfectly legal but also assisting someone in suicide or providing the means for it should be; even obtaining illegal substances should in retrospect not be punished as long as the intention was clearly to terminate one's own life.

Suicide was an offence in UK until the passage of the 1961 Suicide Act. Of course, it was not a crime which could be prosecuted, but suicide attempts could, and were, prosecuted right up to the change in the law.

It's difficult to be precise about US law, as there are so many state and federal jurisdictions, but there is none which still have suicide as a felony.
But have a gander at this . . . . . .

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...Maryland-man-convicted-attempted-suicide.html


It is still an offence in most jurisdictions worldwide to encourage or assist a suicide or attempted suicide of another person, which gives rise to the curious situation where it is a crime to assist another person to do something which is itself not illegal or actionable. This is the case in UK, but Crown Prosecution Service guidelines now advise that prosecutions should not normally be commenced where the act of assistance is clearly intended to relieve suffering

 

[a.n.kirillov]

It used to be illegal pretty much everywhere. Doesn't mean it's a criminal offense.
You had the bizarre situation in the 19th century) UK where the attempted suicide was promptly prosecuted for attempting murder, and then was executed by hanging (beheading for the nobility), granting the persons wish.

In some countries all the assets of the suicide were confiscated, leaving the family to starve.

Violence towards the individual is/was seen as the sole prerogative of the state, and the state attempts brutally to protect that prerogative by adding punishment, stigmatision and humiliation to tragedy.
Despite that, despair still drove people to suicide.

Suicide and suicide attempts are tragedies already. What good is served by persecuting the poor souls who resort to it out of despair, and/their traumatised families?

Forgiveness, help and support are far more useful and effective. People will be lost along the way, not all will be helped, not all want to be helped. We need to accept that

Would be interesting whether just making a false confession would have sufficed for capital punishment. Nice mechanism lol

You say "forgiveness" but imo there is absolutely nothing to forgive.

 

[Jean4]

In the United States In many jurisdictions it is a crime to assist others, directly or indirectly, in taking their own lives. In some jurisdictions, it is also illegal to encourage them to do so. Sometimes an exception applies for physician assisted suicide (PAS), under strict conditions.

The actual act of suicide is not illegal.

 

[Jean4]

How can you punish someone who is dead?

Have them be greeted by pro lifers.

 

[Majin K.]

What exactly happened to op? He's banned.

 

[Jean4]

What exactly happened to op? He's banned.

Maybe self banned.

 

[ctbUniquectb]

How can you punish someone who is dead?

I have such a hard-on to not be subject to man's laws any longer. The only downside is the off chance of surviving Attempt Number Five.

What exactly happened to op?

His name was Robert Paulson.

 

[TimeToBiteTheDust]

His name was Robert Paulson.

How do you know his real name?

 

[Jean Améry]

In the United States In many jurisdictions it is a crime to assist others, directly or indirectly, in taking their own lives. In some jurisdictions, it is also illegal to encourage them to do so. Sometimes an exception applies for physician assisted suicide (PAS), under strict conditions.

The actual act of suicide is not illegal.

Not officially no. Unofficially it is: anything for which you can be legally locked up (i.e. against your will) is in effect an illegal act no matter how they sugarcoat it. They ostentibly decriminalized attempting suicide yet instated involuntary commitment for those attempting suicide (and failing) which amounts to more or less the same thing. Incarceration for behaviour that is deemed completely unacceptable by society and therefore not allowed.

If you attempt suicide and fail you will not be dragged in front of a criminal court and thrown in prison but you will likely find yourself forcibly taken to a mental hospital (which you will not be able to leave untill someone-else says so) and (even worse since it's a complete violation of your physical and mental integrity) forced-fed or force-injected psychotropic drugs.

In a way facing a criminal trial is actually better from a legal viewpoint as you will have actual rights and your day in court, when you're convicted you will know when they will have to let you out and the prison staff will not normally be allowed to force you to take drugs that mess with your mind, identity, health and well-being.

 

[PhilosOfDoom]

How do you know his real name?

He's probs referring to the quote from The Fight Club, it's featured on Urbandictionary. More info from the fight club wiki.