# "is suicide legal?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal/269327 "2004-10-15T05:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hannaconda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3e96dc/32.png) [@hannaconda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hannaconda)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal/269327/1 "2004-10-15T05:03:11Z")
Just a friendly debate. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal/269327/2 "2004-10-15T05:09:00Z")
We wouldn’t dare. Not after The Master has [spoken](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040326.html) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal/269327/3 "2004-10-15T05:09:50Z")
Looks like no. > [@](#): > > SUICIDE, crimes, med. jur. The act of malicious self-murder; felo de se. (q.v.) 3 Man. Gran. & Scott, 437, 457, 458; 1 Hale, P. C… 441. But it has been decided in England that where a man’s life was insured, and the policy contained a proviso that “every policy effected by a person on his or her own life should be void, if such person should commit suicide, or die by duelling or the hands of justice,” the terms of the condition included all acts of voluntary self-destruction, whether the insured at the time such act was committed, was or was not a moral responsible agent. 3 Man. Gr. & Scott, 437. In New York it has been held, that an insane person cannot commit suicide, because. such person has no will. 4 Hill’ 3 R. 75. > 2. It is not punishable it is believed in any of the United States, as the unfortunate object of this offence is beyond the reach of human tribunals, and to deprive his family of the property he leaves would be unjust. > > SOURCE: [The Free Dictionary.Com](http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Suicide) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal/269327/4 "2004-10-15T05:11:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Looks like no. Err…I meant yes…nevermind…the Master has it. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal/269327/5 "2004-10-15T05:15:21Z")
I remember we had a thread about clever ways to commit suicide in IMHO or MPSIMS, and a mod closed it because it was advocating illegal behavior, albeit jokingly. Then (s)he re-opened it within a day or so, after discovering that it is indeed legal. I thought it was quite amusing. AFAIK, the only time a closed thread has been reopened. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal/269327/6 "2004-10-15T07:12:00Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > I remember we had a thread about clever ways to commit suicide in IMHO or MPSIMS, and a mod closed it because it was advocating illegal behavior, albeit jokingly. Then (s)he re-opened it within a day or so, after discovering that it is indeed legal. I thought it was quite amusing. AFAIK, the only time a closed thread has been reopened. Was that the one about how to commit suicide in an empty room? I love those types of threads, do you have a link? ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-suicide-legal/269327/7 "2004-10-15T15:36:00Z")
When I asked my dad this, he said yes, suicide is illegal, at least in Wisconsin (he’s a doctor, so would have some knowledge of the matter. Of course, his word is not as strong as someone who’s much more familiar with the law.). When I asked him why, he rationalized it as murder, which is against the law. According to him, in his neck of the woods, people who attempt suicide and fail are arrested for attempted murder (after medical treatment, of course). Usually they’re not tossed in jail, however - they’re generally sent to a larger city for hospitalization, observation, and mental therapy and help. I’m not sure whether the charges are ever followed up on - it’s more likely that officials are happy to help someone get well and save a life than imprison them.